Man Who Speaks in Anagrams, The

Synopsis
British television comedy series. This episode includes the sketch ‘The Man Who Speaks in Anagrams’. Part of the dialogue is as follows:
Palin: And I believe you’re working on an anagram version of Shakespeare?
Idle: Sey, sey - taht si crreoct, er - ta the mnemot I’m wroking on "The Mating of the Wersh".
Palin: "The Mating of the Wersh"? By William Shakespeare?
Idle: Nay, by Malliwi Rapesheake.
Palin: And what else?
Idle: "Two Netlemeng of Verona", "Twelfth Thing", "The Chamrent of Venice"....
Palin: Have you done "Hamlet"?
Idle: "Thamle". ‘Be ot or bot ne ot, tath is the nestquoi.'
Palin: And what is your next project?
Idle: "Ring Kichard the Thrid".
Palin: I’m sorry?
Idle: ‘A shroe! A shroe! My dingkom for a shroe!'
Palin: Ah, Ring Kichard, yes... but surely that’s not an anagram, that’s a spoonerism.
Idle: If you’re going to split hairs, I’m going to piss off
Series
Monty Python’s Flying Circus
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Television
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Transmission details
9 Nov 1972 at 22:15 (Channel: BBC1)
Duration
30 mins

Credits

Producer
Ian MacNaughton
Writer
Eric Idle; Graham Chapman; John Cleese; Michael Palin; Terry Gilliam
Cast
Eric Idle 
Michael Palin 

Additional Details

Production type
Sitcoms/Variety
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Notes

General
Other Python episodes, too brief to catalogue individually, are a sketch entitled SHAKESPEARE in the episode ARCHEOLOGY TODAY (tx 17 November 1970 ) in which Shakespeare, washing up at the sink, gives Beethoven tips on how to compose the Fifth Symphony. He dismisses the name David as a suitable title for his play (preferring the name Hamlet as suggested by Beethoven). Shakespeare tells Michelangelo that he can have the name. HAMLET (tx 21 November 1974) follows some of the action and characters of the play - Terry Jones plays Hamlet. In THE SPANISH INQUISITION (tx 22 September 1970) there is a sketch JULIUS CAESAR WITH AN ALDIS LAMP.

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Archive

Name

BFI National Archive

Web
http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services External site opens in new window
Phone
020 7255 1444
Fax
020 7436 0165
Address
21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN

How to cite this record

Shakespeare, "Man Who Speaks in Anagrams, The". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av69330 (Accessed 26 Nov 2024)