BASIL IS BACK - LIVE !

Michael Coppel and Philip McIntyre in association with Louise

Withers present the World Premiere Tour of John Cleese’s official adaptation of Fawlty Towers Live on Stage – touring Australia and New Zealand from August 2016.

Fawlty Towers Live will be based on the BBC TV series written by John Cleese and Connie Booth. It will be adapted for the stage by John Cleese, with direction by Caroline J. Ranger and set design by Liz Ascroft.
Manic, snobbish, condescending, sycophantic and rude, Basil Fawlty is without doubt one of the funniest, most iconic and most memorable British comedy characters ever written. This original adaptation and all-new Australian cast, will bring all your beloved characters to life onstage in an unmissable evening of hilarity!

Sydney: Roslyn Packer Theatre FROM 19 AUGUST

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NOTICE : Careless Whispers will be back onboard tomorrow after a bout of illness. Even the office cat Mildred who can adequately fill our shoes couldn't be available due to a de-sexing operation. 

Palm Beach shack For Sale

'Kaluha'

Every summer a flock of paparazzi set out for ritzy Palm Beach at the very furthest end of Sydney's northern peninsular where local and international celebrities spend their lazy days in the handful of mansions available in the area.

Now the most famous house that usually hosts an international star over summer is up for sale-Kalua, the magnificent property owned by businessman Ian Joye can be yours for an asking price of over $25M.

The 1920s Caribbean style beach house is actually three separate houses on about 5,500sqm in the cul-de-sac at the prestigious southern end of the beachfront, nestled among the lush vegetation of historic Cabbage Tree Boat Harbour with filtered views direct across to the beach, bordered by tall Pines.

Only HRH Prince Charles' friend Bob Rose has a better property being right at the end with commanding views over the beach.

Kalua was once owned by the Horden department store family (they all had Palm Beach houses in the 1930s-the Graces, the Lloyd Jones while the Myers opted for Sorrento in Victoria ). Gazing over the azure waters of the Pacific it's secluded amid magnificent sprawling grounds and really hearkens back to a more stylish era when Eastern Suburbs' families would motor down for the week end and jostle over who could host the smartest  garden party.

These days Palm Beach is a bit of a film colony with Oscar winning director Peter Weir, actors Bryan Brown and Racheal Ward and Sam Neil all living in the area while the North Palm Beach Surf Club is used as a set for Home &Away.

Those who have rented Kaluha for $40,000 a week include Mick Jagger, John Cleese, Bono, Nicole Kidman,Tom Cruise, Rupert Murdoch, Paul McCartney and Billy Connolly.

If you are short on cash the vendor is offering 60% finance which means you could look forward to a monthly mortgage of about $120,000.

Basil Fawlty's London

Following our link to Richard Glover's interview with John Cleese during which the comedian claims London  is "no longer an English city" there have been howls of outrage in a British newspaper. The London Evening Standard and it's readers have taken Cleese to task.

London mayor Boris Johnston is reported as saying in response to Cleese  "we should celebrate the capital's diversity" while former mayor Ken Livingstone said :"to stay competitive London must be what New York is to the USA, a global centre of business, culture and innovation, none of which can be achieved without people of all nations working and living here. Without that London's status as a driver of the British economy would be permanently lost."

Cleese said that "the capital feels like a foreign city and that English culture is disappearing."
"I'm not sure what's going on in Britain. Let me say this, I don't know what's going on in London because London is no longer an English city and that's how they got the Olympics  "

The Sydney Morning Herald's travel writer The Backpacker ( Ben Groundwater) agrees with Johnson and Livingstone. 

He said : "London still feels like the centre of the universe. You stroll the streets and there are Indians, Pakistanis, Turks, Iranians, Poles, Spaniards, French, Americans and, of course, Australians. It's as if the whole world has come to visit ". He qualified  that with :  "The city still has its down sides, of course. The weather's crap. Well, actually, the weather's great, and then it's crap, and then it's great, and then it's crap again – and that's before you've even had lunch. "

Read the full report here in the London Evening Standard. 
The Backpacker's website is here.

Eric Bana at YOTS-Interview with John Cleese

Father Chris Riley & Eric Bana

Youth Off The Streets held their 20th Year anniversary black tie Gold Dinner on Saturday at the Hilton Hotel. YOTS, for short is the brainchild of Catholic priest Father Chris Riley who has been beavering away now for two decades assisting homeless, disadvantaged and abused youth.

Riley has some high profile supporters including Murdoch Books publisher Matt Hanbury and it's special ambassador is actor Eric Bana.

Among the guests were Premier Barry O'Farrell, patrons Sir William and Lady Helen Deane, TV host David Koch and wife Libby, Sony Music heavy Denis Handlin and actress Paula Duncan. Entertainment was provided by Diesel and Mahalia Barnes.


Bana has been back in Australia for two months, and plans to stay on with wife Rebecca and children Klaus and Sophie, reducing his film work to one project a year. The thriller film Hanna in which he stars is currently showing in Sydney and he has two more due for release-By Virtue Fall and Blackbird.

Sen. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells
   and Premier Barry O'Farrell

Sir William & Lady Deane

 Let's hope Sony's Handlin took notice of some of the ladies who work for YOTS. They read the interview with young singer Jack Vidgen who said he wished to participate and help YOTS out and they are excited.
 Sony signed Vidgen after his Australia's Got Talent win and his debut CD, Yes I Am is going gangbusters.




From 702 ABC Sydney :

John Cleese & Richard Glover (ABC Radio 702)

Comedy legend John Cleese is in town for the Just for Laughs comedy festival at the Sydney Opera House. Richard Glover caught up with John to talk Fawlty Towers, Monty Python and how he feels about political and social changes in the UK.
 Go to The Drive Show website here to listen to Glover's excellent interview with Cleese.

Go to the Sydney Opera House website here to book tickets for Just For Laughs which is hosted by John Cleese and features Martin Short, Dylan Moran, Demetri Martin, Russell Howard, Margaret Cho, Louis C.K and more.