John Cleese is in town for the next few months…

Legendary actor, writer and comedian John Cleese has taken up temporary residency in Dubai – and the British funny man isn’t here purely for leisure.

Over the next few months, he’ll be working in conjunction with Motivate Media Group’s newly created talent and training divisions.

While he’s in Dubai, Cleese will also be available to make special appearances and host after-dinner speaking engagements, within the present Covid limitations.

Holding an event that could do with an injection of Monty Python-esque wit? John Cleese is your man.

Cleese is provost’s visiting professor at Cornell University and his production house Video Arts has been producing and training videos – many starring Cleese himself – since 1972. Cleese’s latest venture is his recently released book, Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide, which addresses yet another subject close to this versatile and accomplished actor and academic’s heart.

Motivate Media Group’s talent and training divisions are working closely with the Group’s production team to manage a series of events over the next two months, and anyone interested in joining or having a bespoke session should contact Andrew.Wingrove@motivate.ae.

Cleese studied law at Downing College, Cambridge, and was a member of the Cambridge Footlights theatrical club, where other members included Tim Brooke-Taylor and Bill Oddie. In 1965 he wrote and performed with a team that included Michael Palin, Eric Idle, and Terry Jones on David Frost’s The Frost Report, before moving on with those collaborators and Graham Chapman to write and star in Monty Python’s Flying Circus. With his then-wife Connie Booth he co-wrote and starred in Fawlty Towers as cantankerous hotel proprietor Basil Fawlty. Both that show and his character regularly top funniest-ever rankings in the UK and globally.

What’s On caught up with John Cleese when he was touring Dubai in 2013 – here’s what he had to say.

Main image (from left): Andrew Wingrove, John Cleese, Ian Fairservice, David Fairservice, Marc Jones, and Mark Dickinson.

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