John Cleese’s reclusive ex-wife Connie Booth, 83, and her second husband sneak in to see Fawlty Towers: The Play as she poses for pictures with actress who plays her role
John Cleese’s reclusive ex-wife Connie Booth and her second husband snuck in to see the nostalgic Fawlty Towers The Play on Wednesday.
Connie, who co-wrote the series with John in 1974, watched the new show featuring Torquay’s most chaotic hotel from the audience with her partner John Lahr.
The 83-year-old actress, who played the character of long-suffering hotel maid Polly Sherman, was also spotted reminiscing about the four years she played the role.
She briefly posed with theater performer Victoria Fox, who is currently reprising her role in the West End show.
While meeting the new cast on the theater set, Connie was greeted with requests for autographs and photos.
Connie Booth, 83, (left) snuck in to see the nostalgic Fawlty Towers The Play when she met Victoria Fox who plays her character Polly Sherman in the show
Connie, who co-wrote the series, watched the new show with Torquay’s most chaotic hotel from the audience on Wednesday with her second husband John Lahr.
She appeared cheerful for her visit as she had a conversation with each of the 18 cast members.
The cast members are said to have been surprised by the meet and greet as she has stayed out of the spotlight in recent years.
Her famous American theater critic husband confessed in April that she would not give interviews and would keep a low profile.
Ahead of the show’s opening night in April, he told MailOnline: “She’ll be seeing it – probably not on opening night, but she’ll be there.”
The American actress declined to comment on the new production, with Lahr adding: “I understand people are interested – why wouldn’t they be? Connie doesn’t give interviews. Normally she doesn’t do it anymore.’
After almost 50 years since it first hit British TV screens, the nostalgic show made its debut on May 4 at the Apollo Theater.
It is adapted by comedy legend John and directed by Caroline Jay Ranger.
The 83-year-old actress, who played the character of long-suffering hotel maid Polly Sherman, was also spotted reminiscing about the four years she played the role.
Connie’s theatrical replacement, Victoria, bears a close resemblance, as she perfectly captures the essence of the character throughout the show.
Connie met all the actors on the show and they all seemed happy to meet her
She appeared cheerful for her visit as she had a conversation with each of the 18 cast members
Connie has stayed out of the spotlight in recent years (Connie pictured with Anna-Jane Casey who plays Sybil)
After almost 50 years since it first hit British TV screens, the nostalgic show made its debut on May 4 at the Apollo Theater (Connie pictured with Adam Jackson-Smith playing Basil)
Connie married comedy legend John Cleese in 1968 and the couple went on to write the TV series, which was voted the greatest British sitcom of all time in a 2019 Radio Times poll.
The new show has been adapted by comedy legend John (pictured) and directed by Caroline Jay Ranger
Adam Jackson-Smith stars as the inimitable Basil, Anna-Jane Casey plays the iconic Sybil and Paul Nicholas takes on the role of the bumbling major.
Connie married comedy legend John in 1968 and the couple went on to write the TV series, which was voted the greatest British sitcom of all time in a 2019 Radio Times poll.
The couple, who have an adult daughter Cynthia, divorced in 1978 before the second and final series of the BBC2 show was shown the following year.
Connie left the industry in 1995 and continued to work as a psychotherapist until her retirement.
She lives quietly with John in a £2.5 million terraced house in north London. a former acclaimed critic for The New Yorker and son of American actor Bert Lahr, who played the Cowardly Lion in the iconic Hollywood film The Wizard of Oz.
Cleese, 84, has adapted three of his favorite episodes from the program for the new production, which premieres at the Apollo Theater in the West End on Saturday (May 4).
He says he’s written “one grand finale, bringing together the endings of all three episodes.”
Connie gets joint credit for co-writing the TV series from which the new play is adapted.
In the stage production, Adam Jackson-Smith plays the inimitable Basil, while Anna-Jane Casey takes on the role of Basil’s long-suffering wife Sybil, who is played in the series by Prunella Scales.
From left to right: Connie as Polly, John as Basil Fawlty, Prunella Scales as Sybil Fawlty and Andrew Sachs (kneeling) as hapless Spanish waiter Manuel in a promotional photo
Last year Connie said she had no idea John was writing a reboot of the TV show – this time with daughter Camilla Cleese – plans to return as Basil and star alongside Camilla, his daughter with his late second wife, American model and actress Barbara Trentham.
Connie said: ‘I would have appreciated hearing about the project from John rather than reading about it in the newspaper.
‘Having failed a previous US reboot of Fawlty Towers several years ago, I was surprised to see another one planned.
‘I was even more surprised when I read that John plans to write and perform in it with his daughter Camilla.’
Connie married comedy legend John in 1968. The couple welcomed daughter Cynthia (pictured with her parents) before divorcing in 1978.
But Connie is said to have wished the pair the best of luck with the revival, which will be set in the Caribbean and explore how the hapless Basil manages to navigate the modern world.
It has not yet been announced which channel the revival will be shown on, but John said last year: ‘I’m not doing it at the BBC because I don’t get the freedom.
‘I was extremely lucky before because I worked for the BBC in the late 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s.
‘That was the best time because the BBC was run by people with real personalities who loved the medium and who operated on trust, which was okay because there wasn’t that much competition.’