It's not everyone who cracks up at an Arthurian-era soldier with a French accent yelling: "I fart in your general direction!"
But those who do are fanatical. And Between Shifts theatre group director Liz Gruber is among them.
Gruber is bringing to the Eagle Eye Theatre a fast-paced hour-long performance of skits from the Monty Python television series Monty Python's Flying Circus and the feature films Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Monty Python's Life of Brian.
It began as a labour of love for the Python fan - and she soon discovered that Squamish is crawling with people longing to see the old skits again.
"I've come across so many people saying 'Oh yeah, I can't wait, I love Python!' and 'Are you doing that skit where he's doing the funny walk?'" said Gruber.
And the answer?
"Yes. You couldn't do an evening without it."
Gruber admits she does a "nerdy thing" of impetuously launching into Python lines with co-fanatics, and it occurred to her that recreating skits wouldn't take much of a budget. So she put out a call for actors.
"The response was amazing and I thought 'I have to do this now,'" she said. "I had to turn guys away for the audition. They were coming out of the woodwork. Usually when Between Shifts puts on a performance, it's the same 10 people who come out all the time so this was wild, all these new people. That was really, really cool."
Gruber chose a cast of 10 men - aged from their teens to their 60s - and one "mandatory sexy chick." Some cast members don't necessarily get the subtler British humour, but the physical comedy - men in drag, for example - is still a hit.
"I'm betting that the majority of the audience will be huge fans because it's one of those things you either love it or hate it," said Gruber.
Gruber warns audiences that some skits contain swearing and are not intended for children. But she acknowledges that she knows parents who are delighted that their children find Monty Python hilarious.
In keeping with the original show's comedic timing, skits will be a fast-paced with no intermission, no pauses, and no time to think.
The show opens at 8 p.m. sharp on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (April 7, 8 and 9) at the Eagle Eye Theatre. Tickets are $12 at the door.
