has multi-hyphenated his way through life assiduously avoiding a proper job, from a writer and actor in the legendary "Monty Python" TV series and movies, to the creator and director of "The Rutles," the pre-fab four, whose legend will last a lunchtime. He has appeared on stage in drag singing rude songs at Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl as well as performing in two highly successful tours, Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python (2000) and The Greedy Bastard Tour (2003), for which he journeyed 15,000 miles across North America in a bus. HIS GREEDY BASTARD DIARY of that tour is published by Harper Collins. His play PASS THE BUTLER ran for five months in London's West End; he has written two novels, HELLO SAILOR and THE ROAD TO MARS, a children's book, THE QUITE REMARKABLE ADVENTURES OF THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT, and a bedside companion, THE RUTLAND DIRTY WEEKEND BOOK.