Monty Python in Aberystwyth Page #3

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at that time.

The local BBC reporter rang me up

and said,

"Do you realise you're a mayor

of a town

"of which the film you starred in,

or was in, has banned it?"

And I said, "No, I didn't know that".

"I've looked into it," he said,

"and it was banned."

I thought it was a fantastic story.

It just made it that Sue was

the mayor of the town.

The story I wrote initially

sparked off a Facebook campaign

and a student

who was running that campaign

went to the National Library of

Wales here in Aberystwyth,

did some research

through some old newspapers

and discovered

that it was indeed shown in '81.

Is this some kind of joke?

But we're not really sure

why it was shown in '81

and not in '79

when the film was released.

Not many people even knew

it had been shown.

We thought it'd been banned

for 30 years

and the ban was still in place.

And eventually so many people came up

to me in the street and said,

"Go for it, Sue. Show it again."

So we did.

Just this extraordinary sequence

of affairs

that Sue has been in the film

and ends up Mayor of Aberystwyth

and hopefully the film can now be

released in Aberystwyth.

We hope mayors all over the country

who are still resisting the film

will take Sue's example

and go forward and unban it.

It kicked off the idea with Sue

that it would be a good idea

to almost borrow

this legend and use the situation

to generate public enthusiasm as a

fundraiser for her mayoral charity.

Sue told us she'd got permission

to show the film

and she'd like to do a special event

here and we said yes.

We sorted the dates out and

she said, "Shall I ask Terry?"

And that happened. Terry asked

Michael and it all snowballed

and got completely out of hand,

really.

It sort of turned into this big, big

special event

that none of us envisaged it would

be. But it's quite exciting!

And so the plan was formed.

On the 28th March 2009,

the university arts centre

would screen The Life Of Brian

for the first time ever

in Aberystwyth.

Well, apart from a few days in 1981.

But there were still people

in the town

who thought the ban should stand,

including the vicar,

Canon Start Bell.

The film, at its root,

is poking fun at Christ,

and we don't want that to happen.

I don't think the film

should be shown.

Why should the ban be removed?

There have been people who've said,

"This should not be shown."

But one of the people

had never seen the film

and some of the others were people

who wrote to the town clerk, saying,

"This is appalling. We will never

visit Aberystwyth again."

But that's countered

by all the people who've said,

"We'll come now if you show it."

So I think our side's winning!

The day of the big event.

What do the people of Aber

feel about the screening?

It's great. It's marvellous.

Why not?

It's a good, fun film,

and more of it, I say.

I can't understand why it's banned.

I've got it taped

and watch it regularly.

Have you ever seen The Life Of

Brian? The Life Of Brian? No, sir.

Because Julia is actually...

Is she the...?

Mayor. She's in it.

Yes, that's right.

Naked, no less. I reckon that's why

they banned it.

Do you think that's why?

That's why, yes.

Why was it banned? Because it's

quite embarrassing for the mayor.

No, I don't know. I don't know.

What was it? I do know. Hang on.

Was it religion or something?

It was banned in Aberystwyth

for many years. Why?

They thought it was blasphemous.

They thought it was... Violent?

I don't think it's blasphemous.

I think the deeper sense

affirms what Christianity,

the teachings of Jesus says

because it shows we live in a very

dysfunctional society

with war, people starving,

our abuse of animals.

Monty Python shows how insane

the world is.

I think this is a chapel sort of

place, isn't it?

So it affected

chapel sort of people.

We're more liberated nowadays

than they were back in those days.

The film wouldn't be so much

of a deal for most people now.

What's your favourite bit

of the film?

My favourite bit of the film is...

"Ooh, you lucky bastard!"

HE LAUGHS:

"Blessed are the cheese makers."

You see? I do love the film.

Let's hope the congregation

will be great.

Everybody'll go and join it so as

it brings the thing back into life.

So, as dusk falls

across the bay of Ceredigion,

it seems the town

and people of Aberystwyth

are ready to make history

and make peace with the Pythons.

Hello, Mayor.

Arise, Sir Terry.

Thank you so much.

As I say, this is a bit overwhelming.

I see your mayoral chain.

Polish it up. We forgot ours.

I was hoping you'd have worn them

but never mind.

Very nice of you both to come.

On their shoulders!

Lift her up.

It seems the interest in the film

is as huge as ever.

It's the biggest thing

to hit Aberystwyth since...

Well, it's huge, and the press can't

get enough of Sue and the boys.

Oh, that's better.

I'm very pleased to be here.

I've never been to Aberystwyth.

30 years ago, did you ever think one

of your co-stars would become Mayor?

We were hoping she would but...

It was in the contract.

It's taken a very long time.

What's it like reuniting

with these two tonight?

It's great. They look exactly

the same as they did then.

In a way, it's kind of more relevant

nowadays

because religion has come back

on the political agenda.

I'm sure if Jesus himself

was a good public speaker,

he probably knew how to make people

laugh and about comedies.

Odd idea that religion

should not be funny.

That sort of crept in

in the intervening 2,000 years.

Most of the people

who reacted against the film

were the people who hadn't seen it.

There was a Councillor Pinney

in Devon who banned the film

and when it was pointed out to him

that he hadn't seen the film,

he said, "You don't need to see

a pigsty to know it stinks."

The Middle West in America still

won't let Life Of Brian be shown.

They seem to be terrified of it.

So, you know, that keeps it going.

People are interested.

Why is something

still getting people excited?

What are you looking forward to most

tonight? The screening or...?

The beer.

But soon it's time to face

the crowds of fans

as the charity gala screening

gets underway.

And it's a sell-out as the saints

and sinners come together

for this worthy cause.

Proceeds of the night's event

go to the British Heart Foundation

and the Truthout charity,

raising over 3,000. Brilliant!

Sue Jones-Davies, Terry Jones

and Michael Palin.

AUDIENCE CHEERS:

(IN WELSH) I'd like to thank you all

for coming here this evening.

And a special welcome

to Terry and Michael.

I'm really delighted

they were willing to come.

I'm so pleased we've given them

a real Aberystwyth welcome.

AUDIENCE CHEERS:

As you can see,

I'm dressed for the occasion!

LAUGHTER:

Especially with my bling!

So, as the surreal opening credits

roll by,

the ban is finally lifted.

All in all, then,

it's a happy ending to our story.

And as this audience

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