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 stage show featuring Torquay's most chaotic hotel from the audience with her partner John Lahr.
The actress, 83, who played the character of long-suffering hotel maid Polly Sherman, was also spotted reminiscing over her four years playing the role.
She posed for a snap with the theatre performer Victoria Fox, who currently plays her part in the West End show.
While meeting the new cast on the theatrical set, Connie was greeted with requeetss for autographs and pictures.
Connie Booth, 83, (left) snuck in to see the nostalgic Fawlty Towers The Play as she met Victoria Fox who plays her character Polly Sherman in the show
Connie, who co-wrote the series, watched the new stage show featuring Torquay's most chaotic hotel from the audience with her second husband John Lahr on Wednesday
She appeared in top spirits for her visit as she had a chat with each of the 18 cast members.
The cast members would have been surprised by the meet and greet as she has been keeping out of the limelight in recent years.
Her renowned American theatre critic husband confessed in April that she would not be giving interviews and would be keeping a low profile.
Ahead of the show's opening night in April, he told MailOnline: 'She'll be going to see it - probably not on opening night, but she'll be there.'
The American actress declined to comment about the new production, with Lahr adding: 'I understand people are interested - why wouldn't they be? Connie is not giving interviews. She doesn't generally do it anymore.'
After nearly 50 years since it first hit UK TV screens, the nostalgic performance made its debut on May, 4, at the Apollo Theatre.
It has been adapted by comedy legend John and directed by Caroline Jay Ranger.
The actress, 83, who played the character of long-suffering hotel maid Polly Sherman, was also spotted reminiscing over her four years playing the role
Connie's theatrical replacement, Victoria, strikes a resemblance as she perfectly adopts the essence of the character during the show
Connie met each of the actors in the show who all looked delighted to be meeting her
She appeared in top spirits for her visit as she had a chat with each of the 18 cast members
Connie has been keeping out of the limelight in recent years (Connie pictured with Anna-Jane Casey who plays Sybil)
After nearly 50 years since it first hit UK TV screens, the nostalgic performance made its debut on May, 4, at the Apollo Theatre (Connie pictured with Adam Jackson-Smith who plays Basil)
Connie, married comedy legend John Cleese in 1968 and the couple went on to write the TV series, which was named 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 secures 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 named the greatest British sitcom of all time in a 2019 Radio Times poll.
The couple, who have a grown-up daughter Cynthia, divorced in 1978 before the second and final series of the BBC2 show was screened the following year.
Connie quit the industry in 1995 and went on to work as a psychotherapist until her retirement.
She lives quietly in a £2.5 million terraced home in north London with John. a former acclaimed critic for The New Yorker and son of American actor Bert Lahr, who played the Cowardly Lion in the iconic Hollywood movie The Wizard of Oz.
Cleese, 84, has adapted three of his favourite episodes of the programme for the new production, which opens at the Apollo Theatre in the West End on Saturday (May 4).
He says he has 'written one huge finale, which will bring together the endings of all three episodes'.
Connie is given a joint credit for having co-written the TV series the new play is adapted from.
The theatre production stars Adam Jackson-Smith as 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.
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 shot
Last year Connie told how 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 will star alongside Camilla, his daughter with his late second wife, American model and actress Barbara Trentham.
Connie said: 'I'd have appreciated learning about the project from John rather than reading about it in the papers.
'Because a previous American reboot of Fawlty Towers had failed some years ago, I was surprised that another was being planned.
'I was even more surprised to read that John intends to write and to perform in it together 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 well with the revival which will be set in the Caribbean and will explore how the hapless Basil manages to navigate the modern world.
It has not been announced which channel the revival will be shown on but John said last year: 'I'm not doing it with the BBC because I won't get the freedom.
'I was terribly lucky before, because I was working for the BBC in the late '60s, '70s, and the beginning of the '80s.
'That was the best time because the BBC was run by people with real personalities who loved the medium and who were operating out of confidence, which was okay because there wasn't so much competition.'