The Weekend

by Michael Palin

Michael Palin's first stage play premiered in the West End in 1994 Faced with a family gathering, world-weary Stephen Febble does his best to be difficult. When his daughter, her dreary husband Alan, their precocious child and - not least - the dog come to stay for the weekend it's enough to make him reach for the whisky, and for the sarcasm. The climax arrives on Saturday night when his patient wife Virginia has laid on a dinner party and the chiropodist comes too. In his first stage play, The Weekend, Michael Palin takes a look at family values with black humour.

Genres: Plays

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Sir Michael Edward Palin, KCMG, CBE, FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries.

Palin wrote most of his material with Terry Jones. Before Monty Python, they had worked on other shows such as The Ken Dodd Show, The Frost Report and Do Not Adjust Your Set. Palin appeared in some of the most famous Python sketches, including "The Dead Parrot", "The Lumberjack Song", "The Spanish Inquisition" and "Spam". Palin continued to work with Jones, co-writing Ripping Yarns. He has also appeared in several films directed by fellow Python Terry Gilliam and made notable appearances in other films such as A Fish Called Wanda, for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted the 30th favourite by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.

After Python, he began a new career as a travel writer. His journeys have taken him across the world, the North and South Poles, the Sahara desert, the Himalayas and most recently, Eastern Europe. In 2000 Palin became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to television.

Reviews

[Anton Segers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michael Palin kan pittige dialogen schrijven, dat heeft hij genoeg bewezen bij Monty Python - met de typische satirische inslag.
Deze theatertekst is wel veel dramatischer dan je van een Python zou verwachten. Palins gevoel voor humor houdt het licht, maar de uitwerking van het conflict en de opbouw zijn wat te geforceerd en expliciet naar mijn smaak.

[Isca Silurum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather unsubtle,
but the old and married might sympathise. "Friends" and "wives" etc, oh and the young and relatives! 🙈

[Charles Berman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny play. Almost seems more charming than it wants to be at certain points.

[Huibert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading a play is very different from seeing it, but Palin made me laugh often, especially with Stephen's sarcasm.