Monty Python's Circus Set To Fly Again

Comedy veterans Monty Python are set to reunite for their first major project in 30 years.

Surviving members John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin are expected to announce their plans at a news conference in London on Thursday.

The announcement follows months of secret talks about getting back together, according to reports.

A spokesman for the Pythons would not reveal whether the group planned to perform live, in a TV special or in a film.

But Terry Jones appears to have let the cat out of the bag by revealing what it is the Pythons are going to do.

"We're getting together and putting on a show - it's real," Jones told the BBC.

"I'm quite excited about it. I hope it makes us a lot of money. I hope to be able to pay off my mortgage!"

Idle added to the rumours on Monday when he tweeted: "Only three days to go till the Python press conference.

"Make sure Python fans are alerted to the big forthcoming news event."

His Tuesday tweet added: "Python meeting this morning. Can't wait. Press Conference Thursday will apparently be live on Sky News. I'll get you the online URL."

Monty Python's Flying Circus was made for TV between 1969 and 1974, and the team's work famously includes the Dead Parrot and the Ministry of Silly Walks sketches.

The Pythons went on to make films including Monty Python And The Holy Grail and Monty Python's Life of Brian.

Their final film, Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life, released in 1983, was the last time the six Pythons worked together on a full-time project.

Graham Chapman died of cancer in 1989.

Since the Pythons split, each member of the group has gone on to achieve huge success in his own right.

John Cleese co-wrote and starred in Fawlty Towers, A Fish Called Wanda and Fierce Creatures - the latter two also starred fellow Python Michael Palin - and he has appeared in two James Bond and two Harry Potter films.

Most recently, he has been on what he calls his Alimony Tour, a one-man show which he says he had to do to pay for his divorce from American therapist Alyce Faye Eichelberger for which he had to pay a divorce settlement of £12m.

Michael Palin also had starring roles in a number of films, as well as carving out a different career on TV as a well-respected and entertaining traveller and explorer.

Terry Jones' career - like his fellow Pythons - has been diverse. He co-wrote Ripping Yarns with Palin before moving on to working with musicians and writing books and presenting TV documentaries on medieval and ancient history. He has also collaborated with Terry Gilliam, the only non-British Python.

Gilliam was the animator behind the Python comedy sketches. Since going solo, Gilliam has directed several films including Time Bandits, Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.

Eric Idle has written books and songs and West End shows. His current success is the music and lyrics for the musical Monty Python's Spamalot, based on the Holy Grail film.

The Python team were earlier this year ordered to pay around £250,000 extra in royalties to film producer Mark Forstater over his contribution to Spamalot.

Forstater was the original producer of the Holy Grail film, a musical that has grossed well over £100m.

He had said in court that he was the "seventh" Python - a statement described as "laughable" by the comedy team.