Comedy veterans Monty Python are set to reunite on what is expected to be a new project for the first time in 30 years.

Eastern Daily Press: Whicker Island: Members of the Monty Python team - l-r, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman and Terry Jones - filming the famous sketch at Winterton.Whicker Island: Members of the Monty Python team - l-r, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman and Terry Jones - filming the famous sketch at Winterton. (Image: Archant)

Surviving members John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin are expected to announce a stage show, following months of secret talks, at a press conference on Thursday.

Jones told the BBC: 'We're getting together and putting on a show - it's real.

'I'm quite excited about it. I hope it makes us a lot of money. I hope to be able to pay off my mortgage!'

Meanwhile, Idle tweeted: 'Only three days to go till the Python press conference. Make sure Python fans are alerted to the big forthcoming news event.'

He added: 'Python meeting this morning. Can't wait.'

Monty Python's Flying Circus, famous for its Dead Parrot sketch, was made for TV between 1969 and 1974.

The Pythons went on to make films including Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975) and Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979).

Their final film, Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life, released in 1983, was the last time the six Pythons worked together on a full-time project.

Sixth Python Graham Chapman died of cancer in 1989.

The team filmed several sketches for Monty Python's Flying Circus in Norfolk.

In 1971 a number of the linking scenes used in 'And Now for Something Completely Different' featuring John Cleese at his desk were filmed in Norwich near the castle. They also used Elm Hill for the Beethoven sketch.

The sketch entitled 'The Idiot in Society' (aka the village idiot) in episode 20 was filmed at Heydon. John Cleese (dressed in smock) sits on the church wall and then falls off backwards into the churchyard.

The 'Whicker Island' sketch, in which all the inhabitants of a tropical island were Alan Whicker clones, was filmed at Winterton.