{"id":9026,"date":"2026-04-25T09:04:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T08:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simonday.com\/news\/?p=9026"},"modified":"2026-04-25T09:16:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T08:16:17","slug":"an-afternoon-and-evening-with-john-cleese-princess-theatre-torquay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simonday.com\/news\/an-afternoon-and-evening-with-john-cleese-princess-theatre-torquay\/","title":{"rendered":"An Afternoon and Evening with John Cleese \u2013 Princess Theatre, Torquay"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every now and then, a job comes along that makes you stop and think, how on earth did I end up here? This was one of those moments!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

I had the incredible opportunity to photograph none other than John Cleese<\/a> at the Princess Theatre in Torquay<\/a>, and to say it felt surreal would be an understatement. I grew up watching Fawlty Towers and laughing at Monty Python\u2019s Flying Circus, so being asked to photograph the man himself was a genuine privilege.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"John<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Although John Cleese was not part of the production itself (but he did adapt the show for stage!), he had come down to be involved in the opening night, which made the whole event feel even more special. The afternoon began with a series of promotional shots with the cast of Fawlty Towers. We worked through group photos with the full cast, followed by individual shots with each of the main characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A special mention has to go to Danny Bayne<\/a>, who plays Basil Fawlty. He had absolutely nailed the character. The mannerisms, the expressions, the energy, it was all there. Standing next to John Cleese himself, he more than held his own, which is no small feat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What stood out most during the afternoon was just how gracious John Cleese was. He took the time to speak with everyone, cast and crew alike, and carried himself with a quiet, understated charm. You could tell he was tired, and rightly so, it was going to be a long day, but he never let that affect how he interacted with people. A true professional, and a genuine gentleman throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stage lighting for this on-stage photoshoot was pretty bad, but we couldn’t do anything to change it. I had my speedlights on each camera and I just went with what we had.<\/p>\n\n\n