Ja! Festival 2016

Ja! number seven was the award to the tremendous in all senses of John Cleese. Throughout his time among us, he never for a moment spared us his affectionate sympathy. Walking down the street with him or sitting at a restaurant table was unbelievable. We gave him the award at the Champs Elysées Theatre to a sold-out audience. Or rather, the golden Ja! symbolising the award was handed to him by Joaquín Reyes and Ernesto Sevilla, who took part in the programme that year, kneeling on stage before the maestro. An aurresku of honour was performed by a dantzari dressed in a black suit and bowler hat (the txapela underneath, which John put on and never took off again) in his famous Silly Walks gag style.