Get ready for a funny — and insightful — night in Seattle with John Cleese

Can it be true? Basil Fawlty, the crankiest, most bigoted innkeeper in English history, has turned 70?

Well, not exactly. John Cleese — the funnyman extraordinaire who created Basil, and perfected the art of the hissy fit by playing him in the comedy-classic "Fawlty Towers" series — just had his 70th birthday, on Oct. 27. And you can celebrate with the incorrigibly clever Monty Python alum live and in person, when he appears at the Moore Theatre on Tuesday night.

Cleese, whose many Monty Python highlights include his hilarious shtick as the Minister of Silly Walks and as Mr. Praline (a man trying to return a dead parrot to a pet shop), is calling this string of one-person shows the "How to Finance Your Divorce Tour." That's in reference to the reported $20 million court settlement he's been ordered to pay his (third) ex-wife Alyce Faye.

In the tour's premiere last month in Oslo, Norway, (where he's a comic god), Cleese cracked some dark jokes about alimony. But for the bulk of the evening he talked about how he became a comic writer-performer; his brilliant tenure with the zany, highly influential Monty Python troupe; his adventures as Basil Fawlty; and his solo movie career (including his lead role in the rib-tickler "A Fish Called Wanda"). Cleese also discussed his theories about merrymaking, and took questions from the audience.

Expect more of the same in Seattle. And the appearance dovetails neatly with a newly remastered DVD boxed set of "Fawlty Towers," released by the BBC with a batch of extra features (such as new interviews with the cast). The set includes the full 12-episode series, initially aired in England over two seasons (one in 1975, the other in 1979).

Only 12? That was enough to get "Fawlty Towers" rated by the British Film Institute as the UK's No. 1 best TV series — ever.

Misha Berson: mberson@seattletimes.com