Monty Python's Nude Pianist Honoured with Terry Jones Statue in Colwyn Bay

Or should that be the other way around?  Probably, but I think Jones may have liked it this way!

Here's the story. In the winter of 1970, British television viewers were given thirteen new episodes of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, with a host of new secondary characters to help while away the winter nights.  By far the most talked about was The Nude Pianist played (mostly) by the late, great Terry Jones.  The pianist (who wasn’t always naked to start with) proved so popular that he became slightly more of a fixture in the third series in 1972-3.  

Why?  The character perfectly captured the programme's surreal, subversive humour. His calm indifference to his own nudity made the joke even funnier. At a time when British television was still relatively conservative, the sight of a naked pianist popping up unexpectedly between sketches was both shocking and irresistibly absurd, ensuring audiences eagerly anticipated his return.

Now, the sea front of Jones’ home town of Colwyn Bay on the North Wales Coast has a permanent commemoration of this cheeky little character in the form of a sculpture by Nick Elphick.  

Sir Michael Palin has apparently described the statue as a fitting tribute, joking that commemorating a comedian with a monument might seem a little absurd. However, he added that Terry Jones would have appreciated the irony of such a playful, slightly subversive memorial, making him especially pleased with the idea.

Subversive? Well, if you are reading this from our home page, click “read article” below to get a better idea of why what Palin said got to the bottom of this particular piece of art in an instant.  Thank you to Kuriositas reader Sonny Chapman for taking the pictures.

Terry Jones may have been slightly cracked on more than one level, but he is still remembered with immense fondness by millions of people around the world.  Here is the news article that accompanied the unveiling of the sculpture in April.

The commenters on YouTube are also having a field day, with many remembering the Nude Pianist as one of Monty Python's funniest recurring characters. Viewers describe the sketches as "timeless", praise Terry Jones' completely straight-faced performance, and joke that "they don't make comedy like this anymore". Others marvel that the BBC broadcast such cheeky humour in the early 1970s, while many agree that the character perfectly captured Python's surreal, gloriously subversive style.

More than half a century after he first wandered across television screens wearing little more than a smile, the Nude Pianist is still raising laughs. Thanks to his new home in Colwyn Bay, Terry Jones' most unabashedly cheeky creation is now set to entertain – and surprise – generations to come.