This past Thursday evening I was lucky enough to find myself sat in St George’s concert hall, eagerly awaiting the arrival on-stage of Michael Palin: globetrotter, Python, BAFTA lifetime achievement winner and diarist.
One of the headlining events of the Bristol Festival of Ideas, the topic of conversation was Palin’s diaries, which is to say, his life. Having kept a daily log for the majority of his adult life, Palin has decided to eschew the traditional celeb autobiography in favour of publishing these, in three volumes.
The evening took the form of a staged conversation, with Christopher Stevens leading Palin (and the audience) on a tour through the early years of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, via Hollywood success and on to the travel features of more recent years. Michael Palin is clearly a man with a few stories to tell, and the conversation format allowed these to come out beautifully. How else could you find out that Monty Python was hastily named in a night so that BBC payroll could sign the cheques, or what Johnny Cash’s handshake was like!? Well, I imagine you could find out by reading the diaries themselves, but I’ve not gotten that far yet.
The diaries also promise to reveal some more intimate family moments. Readers who are only interested in the glamour of TV and film might be disappointed, as Palin says that many periods, especially in the early days of this career, are dominated by stories about his new family. But I suppose that’s what you sign-up for when you read a personal diary. You very much get the man, not the myth.
The “formal” conversation was followed by a round of questions from the sold-out audience, which helped to unearth some absolute gems. My personal favourite: where is the most obscure place you have been recognised? The answer: On the island of Little Diomede, an inhospitable rock between Alaska and Russia, home to a small tribe of indigenous Inuit, when filming a travel piece, he was approached by some locals with questions about a Dead Parrot…
Bristol Festival of Ideas is still in full-swing, visit the website for a full list of events and to reserve your tickets early.
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Mr Hancock