Lunatics Required

Do you think you could faithfully recreate John Cleese's silly walk? What about bringing the famous Dead Parrot Sketch to the big screen? If either of these prospects sound tempting, then you may be interested to know that a Hollywood production company is heading for London to hold an open audition for young Pythons. Hippofilms, headed by producer David Eric Brenner, is adapting the late Python Graham Chapman's memoirs Gin and Tonic and is looking for young versions of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. The memoirs take in Chapman's early years as a student and trainee doctor and the beginning years of the Pythons. 'We wanted to cast as wide a net as possible for the Pythons,' explains Brenner, who's also holding open auditions for the roles in Los Angeles, New York and Tokyo. 'Our goal isn't just to find six look-alikes, but to discover six incredibly talented performers who embody that Pythonic brilliance and lunacy.' According to the audition information pack, 'Creative costumes are highly encouraged. Extra points (and an additional chance to be in the film in a secondary role or as an extra) will be given if your costume is extremely clever or absurd.' Now where's the dressing-up box?