Rainbow Theatre & Monty Python

Monty Python rehearsed here in 1973, their 'First Farewell Tour'

Location: 232 Road, Finsbury Park, N4 3NX

Description: The 'Rainbow Theatre', originally the Astoria Theatre, is a Grade II-listed building in Finsbury Park, built as a cinema in 1930, it later became well known as a music venue and is now a Pentecostal church.

When it opened in 1930, the Astoria Cinema was one of the largest in the world, standing at the junction of Isledon Road and Seven Sisters Road on an island site, alas now it is the main base for UCKG (Universal Church of the Kingdom of God) in the UK.

But back in the day when it was a glorious venue in 1973, the 'Monty Python' team used the 3,500 seater theatre as a rehearsal space for their 'First Farewell Tour'... and even then 'Michael Palin' commented in his 'Diaries 1969 - 1979' that it was an obivious target for developers!

How right he was, what a shame!

Tours: Graham Chapman's Python London

Themes: Comedy Comedy Theme