The eagerly-awaited Monty Python stage show has been extended from one to five days, scheduled for early July next year. The move to add more live dates to the list came as organisers announced that the first show at London's O2 Arena sold out in 43.5 seconds, according to Sky News, giving modern pop bands a run for their money.

Monty Python Photocall
Tickets For The Monty Python One-Off Show Sold Out Almost Instantly.

However, it's easy to see why there was so much clamouring for tickets when they went on sale early this morning; the shows at the O2 will be the first time the comedy unit have performed together since 2009 when they celebrated their 40th anniversary with a special show in New York.

It was announced last week that John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Terry Jones were to reunite and perform together with just the one stage show announced at first. Such was the intense demand for seats at the event that organisers have extended the O2 stint until the 5th July 2014.

Monty Python Photocall Corinthia
The Gang Will Bring Their Unique Python Humour To The O2.

The highly influential comedy troupe met whilst at university but sixth member Graham Chapman died in 1989 due to cancer. With the aid of modern technology, Michael Palin has hinted that Graham may be brought back from the dead in a séance scene during the new show. "We have to get Graham somehow, that should be the challenge to the scientific community, recreate Graham, said the 70 year old, via The Mirror.

Monty Python Photocall Reunion
We May Also See A Resurrection Of Graham Chapman!

"I like the idea of having a medium who has no sense of comic timing at all but has got Graham's voice," he added. Python Eric Idle added to the notion of Graham's involvement as the gang launched the London O2 Arena gig, saying "If it is Graham's sense of timing he won't show up. He will be there on screen and we'll be incorporating him and even trying to perform with him at one point. He will be active in it. We have actually told him we're going to be on and if there is a God he'll show up."

Though each of the surviving members has been busy with solo efforts in acting, their exciting show announcement and subsequent popularity is testament to how valuable the Pythons are to British cultural heritage and how much the troupe still enjoy collaborating.