Monty Python & Sketch Writing
Monty Python is a comedy troupe that included Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin.
Best known for their television show Monty Python's Flying Circus. The sketch show first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series. Since then the group has spawned various films, musicals, stage productions, and a variety of other pop cultural things. The group's influence on comedy has been compared to The Beatles' influence on music. Very impressive.
Episode 7, Season one (part 1)
Episode 7, Season one (part 2)
Episode 7, Season one (part 3)
Episode 7, Season one (part 4)
Here's a few favorite sketches: Confuse a Cat
Cheese Shop
Upperclass Twit of the Year
Architect Sketch
The World's Funniest Joke Sketch
Various films made by the troupe:
Monty Python & the Holy Grail (1975)
The Life of Brian (1979)
Monty Python's Meaning of Life (1983) & The Tiger Sequence from Meaning of Life
Terry Gilliam (the animator for the group) went on to his own very impressive film career as a director.
Terry Gilliam Films:
A sketch is a short play or slight dramatic performance. It differs from a play in that there is not necessarily a major theme or point in the sketch. Usually sketches are simply meant to be enjoyed. Deep discussion dealing with the human condition is left to PLAYS.
Sketch Writing: (by Brian Luff)
1) Choose a setting. Avoid common set-ups like doctor's surgeries or "Man Goes Into a Shop". Think original. Only set the sketch in one location.
2) Don't make the sketch too long. Two minutes is a good length to start with.
3) If you're trying to sell your material to TV, don't put in anything too expensive like a helicopter. Most TV shows are on a tight budget.
4) Three characters is more than enough for a 2 minute sketch. Don't write for a cast of thousands.
5) Work out loud. Say the lines as you write them. You need to hear what the material sounds like.
6) Think about what is happening visually as well as the words. Describe the physical action in detail. What are the characters wearing? What do they look like. What are their names? (Don't just call your characters FIRST MAN, SECOND MAN. It will help to bring them to life in your mind).
Types of Sketches
To help you get going, here's a few tried and tested comedy formats for sketches.
1) Escalation: Funny idea starts small and gets bigger and bigger, ending in chaos of ridiculous proportions.
2) Lists: Sketches in which the bulk of the dialogue is a long list of funny items. The best example of this is "Cheese Shop" in Monty Python. (You can find all the Python sketches at www.planetcomedy.force9.co.uk/bookstore.html.)
3) Mad Man, Sane Man: This format speaks for itself, but don't go for obvious settings.
4) Dangerous Situations: For example, sketch set on flight deck of aircraft.
5) Funny Words: Sketches which use the sound of language itself to be funny. For example, use of the words "blobby" or "wobble" (See, Mr. Bean).
6) Old and New: Getting a laugh from putting something modern in an historical setting (Or, vice versa) Example: Sir Walter Raleigh using a cigarette lighter.
7) Big and Small. Getting humour from large differences in scale. For example, a mouse trying to make love to an elephant.
Try your own hand at writing a 2-5 page sketch. Your play will be written in the standard playwriting format. Place your sketch in your portfolio.
Best known for their television show Monty Python's Flying Circus. The sketch show first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series. Since then the group has spawned various films, musicals, stage productions, and a variety of other pop cultural things. The group's influence on comedy has been compared to The Beatles' influence on music. Very impressive.
Episode 7, Season one (part 1)
Episode 7, Season one (part 2)
Episode 7, Season one (part 3)
Episode 7, Season one (part 4)
Here's a few favorite sketches: Confuse a Cat
Cheese Shop
Upperclass Twit of the Year
Architect Sketch
The World's Funniest Joke Sketch
Various films made by the troupe:
Monty Python & the Holy Grail (1975)
The Life of Brian (1979)
Monty Python's Meaning of Life (1983) & The Tiger Sequence from Meaning of Life
Terry Gilliam (the animator for the group) went on to his own very impressive film career as a director.
Terry Gilliam Films:
Jabberwocky (1977)Topic: Sketch Writing
Time Bandits (1981)
Brazil (1985)
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
The Fisher King (1991)
12 Monkeys (1995)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
The Brothers Grimm (2005)
Tideland (2005)
Lost in La Mancha
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
A sketch is a short play or slight dramatic performance. It differs from a play in that there is not necessarily a major theme or point in the sketch. Usually sketches are simply meant to be enjoyed. Deep discussion dealing with the human condition is left to PLAYS.
Sketch Writing: (by Brian Luff)
1) Choose a setting. Avoid common set-ups like doctor's surgeries or "Man Goes Into a Shop". Think original. Only set the sketch in one location.
2) Don't make the sketch too long. Two minutes is a good length to start with.
3) If you're trying to sell your material to TV, don't put in anything too expensive like a helicopter. Most TV shows are on a tight budget.
4) Three characters is more than enough for a 2 minute sketch. Don't write for a cast of thousands.
5) Work out loud. Say the lines as you write them. You need to hear what the material sounds like.
6) Think about what is happening visually as well as the words. Describe the physical action in detail. What are the characters wearing? What do they look like. What are their names? (Don't just call your characters FIRST MAN, SECOND MAN. It will help to bring them to life in your mind).
Types of Sketches
To help you get going, here's a few tried and tested comedy formats for sketches.
1) Escalation: Funny idea starts small and gets bigger and bigger, ending in chaos of ridiculous proportions.
2) Lists: Sketches in which the bulk of the dialogue is a long list of funny items. The best example of this is "Cheese Shop" in Monty Python. (You can find all the Python sketches at www.planetcomedy.force9.co.uk/bookstore.html.)
3) Mad Man, Sane Man: This format speaks for itself, but don't go for obvious settings.
4) Dangerous Situations: For example, sketch set on flight deck of aircraft.
5) Funny Words: Sketches which use the sound of language itself to be funny. For example, use of the words "blobby" or "wobble" (See, Mr. Bean).
6) Old and New: Getting a laugh from putting something modern in an historical setting (Or, vice versa) Example: Sir Walter Raleigh using a cigarette lighter.
7) Big and Small. Getting humour from large differences in scale. For example, a mouse trying to make love to an elephant.
Try your own hand at writing a 2-5 page sketch. Your play will be written in the standard playwriting format. Place your sketch in your portfolio.
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