Eighty-four years old, sharp as a tack and still damned funny, John Cleese charmed, tickled and regaled a packed house at Greater Orlando’s Enzian Theater last night as a special event for this year’s Florida Film Festival.

He talked about “creativity,” the subject of his latest book, as it relates to comedy and screenwriting, reminded everyone of the low budget and discomfort one and all — especially he — suffered making “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” in soggy early ’70s Scotland.

He griped about “uncreative” executives — calling out ex-Disney boss Nina Jacobson by name for trying to dumb down a script Cleese co-wrote based on a Roald Dahl book. Cleese broke down the particular talents of his assorted Python-mates — with Michael Palin “gifted at creating unforgottable characters,” his late writing partner Graham Chapman “our best litmus test” as to whether something was funny or not and Eric Idle’s clever way with lyrics.

And he expressed amusement with the American right’s obsession with “drag,” something “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” was pivotal (along with Uncle Milty and Flip “Geraldine” Wilson) in bringing into the nation’s living rooms via TV. He laid the blame for it at the foot of America lacking “our long history of pantos (Pantomime Shows),” where generation after English generation has been delighted by plays put on with women playing men and boys and men playing women.

Maybe conservatives wouldn’t feel so threatened if they’d grown up with something like that, Cleese suggested.

He talked about his fond friendship with Steve Martin, with America’s comic philosopher an unerring sounding board for “A Fish Called Wanda,” his amused frustration at Michael Palin’s decades of “boring” travel documentary series, his appreciation for “the two Terrys,” Jones and Gilliam, who co-directed “Holy Grail” and who made it look so muddily authentic, despite the presence of coconuts.

The evening’s best joke might have been a question from the audience, about where “It’s true” that Cleese didn’t accept a knighthood because “the Queen didn’t know how to (or refused to) pronounce k-nigget?”

And another member of the audience asked about the big moment that changed his relationship with his pathologically depressed mother — making a threatening joke (as an adult, on the phone) about knowing somebody who could come over and “help” grant her wish to just end it all. Cracked her up every time he brought it up from then onwards.

Aside from some vertigo and hearing loss, one of the funniest men alive was none the worst for wear and tear, quick to run with an idea or jokingly ridicule a rambling question, try his hand at a fake pratful or grouse about “cancel culture” and its impact on creativity and creative freedom.

Lovely man. I’ve been a fan since the records of their live performances came out @1979-80, catching the second wave of Python mania that blew up around the time “Life of Brian” became a global phenomenon.

That gives one the pleasure of bingeing on their many series, including the pre Python ones featuring the sextet before they teamed up, and catching up on their movies and later work.

If you get a chance to catch JC on the other dates of his years-long North America and elsewhere tour, don’t miss that opportunity.

Thanks to Cameron Meier for the two-shot, here. With all one has to keep up with re: introductions, questions, audience moderation and the like, I didn’t get around to getting a selfie or two-shot with Our Lord J.C. The venue didn’t photograph the event, at Mr. Cleese’s request.

Anybody else among the scores of folks who I saw snapping away get a decent shot or two-shot? Feel free to send my way. I’ll give you credit.