Back in 1980, when I was a university student, I went to the Brisbane premiere of Monty Python's Life of Brian, making me one of the first people to see the film (in Australia, at least). Now the citizens of Torquay, England, are to be among the last people to see a cinematic premiere of the film. Brian, starring Graham Chapman as the man who was not the Messiah just a very naughty boy, has been on the seaside town's local authority blacklist for 28 years. The ban has now been overturned and the film will feature as part of Torquay's English Riviera International Comedy Film Festival running from today, September 25, to Sunday, September 28. Torquay is, of course, the setting for the TV series Fawlty Towers, created by and starring Python's John Cleese, and was the birthplace of comic genius Peter Cook.
PS: One of the first news articles I ever wrote was about Always Look on the Bright Side of Life being censored on Brisbane radio - to delete or obscure the line "life's a piece of shit when you look at it".

Congratulations to the creators, cast and crew of Busting Out!, which is finishing up at the Twelfth Night Theatre in Brisbane's Bowen Hills on September 20 after a 16-week run. The show, which has been sen by 50,000 people in Brisbane, is now heading overseas. "This season has been nothing short of extraordinary," says producer Simon Bryce. "From what began as a four week run quickly gained momentum and extended to 16 wonderful, wonderful weeks. The reaction to Busting Out! at Brisbane’s Twelfth Night Theatre, has set this new Australian show on a trajectory for international success. No other Australian show in recent memory has achieved such a run for its inaugural season." Buy tickets here.

"I never knew Steven Tandy was so funny. He reminds me of Gordon Chater, only Steven didn't get a pie in the face, or a soda syphon, but he did everything else."

That was small screen legend Noeline Brown's take on Mavis Bramston Reloaded, Paul Dellit and Peter Pinne's stage reworking of the classic TV satire show, now playing at Brisbane's StageDoor Dinner Theatre. Details here.

"I like playing ugly people who are failures but ironically I’m very attractive and very successful."

That's British comic actor Steve Coogan talking to Entertainment Weekly in an article that asks why he's not a bigger star in the United States. Maybe his latest film, Hamlet 2, will remedy that - but there's really no knowing these things. Many brilliant British stars have failed to make it in the US. Sometimes it's a matter of "type" - which explains why cuddly Dudley Moore had a Hollywood career and his arguably more talented but less immediately likeable comic partner Peter Cook didn't. Even John Cleese, one of the few genuine comic geniuses, has failed to make a huge impact in America.
PS: Full marks to Coogan for suggesting Americans check out classic comedies Porridge, Steptoe and Son and Hancock's Half Hour.

Seventies dope culture icons Cheech and Chong are reuniting and will tour together for the first time in 20 years. They say they have sort-of resolved their "veiled hatred" of each other. Will the act work so well now, though?

Sooty is celebrating his 60th birthday with a special show at the British seaside resort town of Blackpool. The man with his hand up the lovable glove puppet now is Richard Cadell. The enduring character was created by Harry Corbett (not to be confused with Steptoe and Son star Harry H. Corbett) and continued to appear on British television into the 1990s co-starring alongside Harry's son Matthew and Cadell. It's been a while since he's been on Australian TV. If you're feeling nostalgic, there's more at Wikipedia.