The Seventh Python's music supervisor goes solo

Cheers! The Seventh Python's UK crew

Tommy Cooper's not the only one making magic. Captured at The Hill in north London are the best crew in all of Britain-- and good guys to travel with: our DP Conall Freeley & sound recordist Ned Hards.

More pix from The Seventh Python UK shoot

First, Phill Jupitus joined the Bonzo Dog Band. Now, he's joined The Seventh Python!

Top British comedian, radio host, TV personality-- and Bonzo Dog Dooh Dah Band collaborator-- Phill Jupitus is the latest Neil Innes associate to lend his talents and unique insights to our musical biopic, The Seventh Python.

And what a coincidence! Our cameras rolled after our production team literally bumped into him in East Anglia-- hours after emailing our research staff to try and track him down. (Well, maybe it's not that much of a coincidence. We found Phill at Neil's house, where he and Neil are working on the final mixes and track rundown of the surprise and much-heralded Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band's reunion album, In Dog We Trust.)


Phill Jupitus is a household name in the UK-- an intellectual funnyman in the Eddie Izzard-Ricky Gervais league who's well-known for his comedy concert DVD like Quadrophobia, his work as a deejay on BBC radio, and his appearances on brainy, hilarious quiz shows like BBC Two's Never Mind The Buzzcocks. He's written plays, directed music videos for the likes of Billy Bragg and Kirsty MacColl-- but, most significantly in our case, made a guest appearance in the Bonzos' 40th anniversary concert at London's Astoria and DVD-- and toured with the reunited loonies around the UK.

Phill spoke to us about the importance of being a Bonzo, the significance of Rutling, and the annoying habts of his "grumpy uncle" Neil.

Seventh Python crew arrives in Suffolk, England

Pre-fab! Barry Wom in The Seventh Python

"I played the part of Ron Nasty, it’s the John Lennon character... Eric wanted to play Sir Dirk McQuickly, the Paul character. He wasn’t 'sir' then, of course, just Dirk McQuickly. Stig O’Hara, a guitarist of no fixed hairstyle, was played by Ricky Fataar and... Stig O’Hara, a guitarist of no fixed hairstyle, was played by Ricky Fataar. John Halsey, was the drummer. He’s one of the world’s funniest men. He’s got this sort of like dour face. He was Barrington Womble, whose name was shortened to Barry Wom..."

That's Neil Innes, talking about the Rutles in our nonfiction musical film, The Seventh Python.

But does this look like a dour face to you?


It's John Halsey, the legendary, influential rock drummer who's been in bands from Patto to Fatso, who beat the skins with artists from Joan Armatrading to Joe Cocker-- but is best known as the man who kept the backbeat for the Rutles. We met John today at the Castle Inn, the pub he runs in Cambridge, England.

Surprisingly there was not a single Rutles artifact on the walls. But John spoke at length about his dear fried, Rutles guitarist Ron Nasty, also known as Neil Innes, subject of The Seventh Python.

Terry Jones joins The Seventh Python

Terry Jones, Monty Python's comic genius who was most comfortable playing middle-aged women, wrapped a segment this afternoon for The Seventh Python, our nonfiction film about his good friend and colleague, Neil Innes.


The historian, director, author, political writer, screenwriter, documentary host and naked piano player welcomed us into his home in the Highgate section of London and spoke about the mystery of the man he's known for forty years-- since their days on the legendary TV show, Do Not Adjust Your Set.

"It's one of the great enigmas. Neil is brilliant! He writes some of the best songs I've ever heard. He's a magnetic personality when he's performing... He's had lots of success. but why hasn't he become a huge star? Why isn't he Paul Simon? It's an enigma! I have no idea... I think one of the things is that Neil is always trying to do something new, do something different. He has an intellectual appetite that has to be satsified... a quirky take on things that's not always mainstream. He's always stepping away from what he could do so easily."


Terry Jones is working on several projects, including preparation to direct a stage musical based on a children's book he's written. And he'll soon be wearing his historian hat on an American tour, lecturing about Richard II.

Thanks for taking the time to make The Seventh Python even more special!

Officially in development...

Pre-production: Psych House is coming soon!