h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

OK, in a couple of weekends' time, I am invited to a fancy-dress thingy. It has a Monty Python theme.

As I am not a big fan, and you are of course the site's acknowledge Monty Python expert, have you any suggestions of a good costume/accessory/silly walk?

B

Some fairly obvious (well, obvious to me, anyway ) costumes, with added notes on appropriate behaviour...

Gumby - wear a knitted tank-top, rolled up trousers and a knotted hanky on your head. Shout a lot and say 'my brain hurts'

Minister - wear a dark suit, and bowler hat, carry a copy of the Times and walk in a silly way

'Mr Praline' - wear an old-fashioned macintosh buttoned right up to the top and complain about your dead parrot

Nudge - wear a blazer and a moustache. Spend the whole evening asking men if their wife/girlfriend 'goes'.

Viking - dress as a traditional viking (furs and horned helmet) and sing about spam constantly.

Lumberjack - wear a red check shirt and raccoon-skin cap. (For added authenticity, wear women's underwear)

Spanish Inquisition - wear red robes and accessories (cross, beads). Jump out at people who aren't expecting it.

The Colonel - wear military uniform and tell everyone they're being too silly

It's Man - dress as a Robinson Crusoe-style castaway (ragged grey beard, wild hair, rags etc.) Never get any further than the first word of any sentence.

Announcer - wear a plain, dark suit and carry an old-fashioned BBC-type microphone (no, I don't know where you'd get one...) Say "and now for something completely different" a lot. (To test the fans, tell people you have a very silly walk but you weren't in that show )

Blancmange (one for the die-hards) - cover yourself in a large pink sheet with a 'cherry' on the top. Carry a tennis racket.

If you don't fancy any of these, let me know and I'll see if I can think of some more obscure ideas...

As you say...more obvious to you than me. You've done this before, haven't you?

I think I'm coming down on the 'Praline' side, as I have an old-fashioned mac, and Odo has an old-style birdcage and a model parrot. (the things girlfriends collect, eh?)

B

Believe it or not, I haven't done this before - those were all off the top of my head I worry about me sometimes...

If you are going as Praline, be warned that at least 60% of the people at the party will be able to quote the Dead Parrot sketch verbatim

I shall have to learn it then...

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~ebarnes/python/dead-parrot.htm

B

Good luck! I've always steadfastly refused to learn it (at least, not word for word). There are bits of Python that I can reel off, but that's just repeated viewing... It's all too easy to become a Monty Python bore