The Dirty Fork
Encyclopedia
The Dirty Fork, also known simply as Restaurant Sketch, is a Monty Python
sketch that appeared in episode 3 of the television
series Monty Python's Flying Circus
, and later in the film, And Now For Something Completely Different
. It is notable for being the first Monty Python
sketch wherein the characters react to the audience "booing" them.
Entertainment Weekly
has ranked The Restaurant Sketch as one of Monty Python's top 20 sketches. In England, it is used in approved course materials for Key Stage 2
of the state school curriculum.
) and his wife (Carol Cleveland
) who are enjoying a night out at an expensive French restaurant, only to discover that they have been given a dirty fork, and Chapman politely asks Gaston the waiter to replace it.
Gaston (Terry Jones
) apologizes profusely and runs to get the head waiter Gilberto (Michael Palin
). Gilberto arrives, demands that the entire washing-up staff be fired, tells Gaston to report this news to the manager immediately, and recoils in disgust at the fork.
The manager (Eric Idle
) arrives, gives Gilberto time to relax, then sits down at the table and apologizes "humbly, deeply, and sincerely" for the dirty fork. Soon, he becomes emotional when explaining the problems the restaurant staff has been suffering, and bursts into tears. Mungo, the cook (John Cleese
) enters, berating the couple for criticizing such a vulnerable man, and swings his cleaver onto their table. Gilberto begins to clutch his head, crying over his war wound. The manager stabs himself in the stomach with the dirty fork, screaming "IT'S THE END!!! THE END!!!!" and keels to the ground, dead.
Mungo then lifts his knife over Chapman yelling out "REVENGE!" when Gilberto rounds the corner, stopping the angry cook from trying to murder the man just in time. "Mungo!" he gasps, struggling to hold him. "Mungo- never kill a customer." Then Gilberto dies from his war wound, and as Mungo is just about to avenge the manager's death by killing Chapman, Gaston tackles him to the ground. A caption says, "And Now... The Punchline!"
"Lucky we didn't say anything about the dirty knife," Chapman adds, looking into the camera. The whole cast moans at the bad joke, as does the audience in turn.
There are several changes to the sketch in the And Now For Something Completely Different
version. The waiter is named "Giuseppe" instead of "Gaston." The audience do not boo, nor do the actors, when Chapman delivers the "punchline."
explains:
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
sketch that appeared in episode 3 of the television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
, and later in the film, And Now For Something Completely Different
And Now For Something Completely Different
And Now for Something Completely Different is a film spin-off from the television comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus featuring favorite sketches from the first two seasons. The title was used as a catchphrase in the television show....
. It is notable for being the first Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
sketch wherein the characters react to the audience "booing" them.
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
has ranked The Restaurant Sketch as one of Monty Python's top 20 sketches. In England, it is used in approved course materials for Key Stage 2
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 2 is the legal term for the four years of schooling in maintained schools in England and Wales normally known as Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6, when pupils are aged between 7 and 11. The term is applied differently in Northern Ireland where it refers to pupils in Year 5, Year 6 and...
of the state school curriculum.
Synopsis
The skit involves a man (Graham ChapmanGraham Chapman
Graham Arthur Chapman was a British comedian, physician, writer, actor, and one of the six members of the Monty Python comedy troupe.-Early life and education:...
) and his wife (Carol Cleveland
Carol Cleveland
Carol Cleveland is a British actress/comedienne, most notable for her appearances as the only significant female performer on Monty Python's Flying Circus.-Early life:...
) who are enjoying a night out at an expensive French restaurant, only to discover that they have been given a dirty fork, and Chapman politely asks Gaston the waiter to replace it.
Gaston (Terry Jones
Terry Jones
Terence Graham Parry Jones is a Welsh comedian, screenwriter, actor, film director, children's author, popular historian, political commentator, and TV documentary host. He is best known as a member of the Monty Python comedy team....
) apologizes profusely and runs to get the head waiter Gilberto (Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, 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....
). Gilberto arrives, demands that the entire washing-up staff be fired, tells Gaston to report this news to the manager immediately, and recoils in disgust at the fork.
The manager (Eric Idle
Eric Idle
Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
) arrives, gives Gilberto time to relax, then sits down at the table and apologizes "humbly, deeply, and sincerely" for the dirty fork. Soon, he becomes emotional when explaining the problems the restaurant staff has been suffering, and bursts into tears. Mungo, the cook (John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
) enters, berating the couple for criticizing such a vulnerable man, and swings his cleaver onto their table. Gilberto begins to clutch his head, crying over his war wound. The manager stabs himself in the stomach with the dirty fork, screaming "IT'S THE END!!! THE END!!!!" and keels to the ground, dead.
Mungo then lifts his knife over Chapman yelling out "REVENGE!" when Gilberto rounds the corner, stopping the angry cook from trying to murder the man just in time. "Mungo!" he gasps, struggling to hold him. "Mungo- never kill a customer." Then Gilberto dies from his war wound, and as Mungo is just about to avenge the manager's death by killing Chapman, Gaston tackles him to the ground. A caption says, "And Now... The Punchline!"
"Lucky we didn't say anything about the dirty knife," Chapman adds, looking into the camera. The whole cast moans at the bad joke, as does the audience in turn.
There are several changes to the sketch in the And Now For Something Completely Different
And Now For Something Completely Different
And Now for Something Completely Different is a film spin-off from the television comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus featuring favorite sketches from the first two seasons. The title was used as a catchphrase in the television show....
version. The waiter is named "Giuseppe" instead of "Gaston." The audience do not boo, nor do the actors, when Chapman delivers the "punchline."
Writing style
This sketch reflects Python's thoughts about punch lines. The Monty Python troupe had decided from the start that they were going to throw away punchlines, and this was a play on the shows that would use corny lines like the dirty knife. Most Python sketches just end abruptly, and sometimes even characters say "What a stupid sketch" and walk out. In Monty Python Live in Aspen, Terry GilliamTerry Gilliam
Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...
explains: