The Fish-Slapping Dance

The Fish-Slapping Dance is a comedy sketch written and performed by the Monty Python team. The sketch was originally recorded in 1971 for a pan-European May Day special titled Euroshow 71. In 1972 it was broadcast as part of episode two of series three of Monty Python's Flying Circus, which was titled "Mr & Mrs Brian Norris' Ford Popular".

The sketch stars John Cleese and Michael Palin in safari outfits and pith helmets at the side of a lock (Teddington Lock in west London). Both are facing each other and light orchestral music plays while Palin dances towards Cleese, lightly slapping him in the face with two small pilchards, and returning to his starting spot. After Palin does this four times, he returns to his starting spot and stands still. In traditional British folk dancing, of which this is reminiscent, one would now expect the other dancer to repeat these steps. Instead, the music stops, Cleese reveals his fish – a much, much larger halibut – and clobbers Palin on the head with it, knocking him into the water several feet below.

In the 1972 Python episode the scene then changes to a Terry Gilliam animation in which a cartoon-version of Palin's character sinks into the river until eaten by a giant fish with a swastika on its body, then that fish is eaten by a bigger one with a Royal Air Force Roundel, and then that fish is eaten by an even bigger one with a red star on its head.

The music is "Merrymakers Dance" from "Nell Gwyn suite" by British composer Sir Edward German (1862–1936).

The sketch is about 20 seconds long, but its situational non-verbal portrayal endears it to the audience. It remains one of Michael Palin's favourite routines on the show, and he made it the centerpiece of his own choice of sketches for his Monty Python's Personal Best miniseries episode. Palin has stated that the sketch summarizes concisely what Python is all about.

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