Little Sparta Productions
How Sweet To Be An An Idiot
A Celebration of Neil Innes Through Music, Laughter & Legacy
Live concert * Interviews * Archive Footage * Backstage
How Sweet to Be an Idiot is more than a concert film it’s a time-travelling tribute to the life and legacy of Neil Innes. Through a blend of stunning live performances and documentary-style vignettes, we trace Neil’s extraordinary journey through British cultural history: from surreal pop satirist with The Bonzo Dog Band, to trusted Monty Python collaborator, and the mind behind The Rutles and solo TV genius. His music was sharp, silly, poignant and always politically prescient. This film aims to tell his story with the same spirit he brought to everything he did: irreverent, generous, and brilliantly original.
Why Now?
Neil Innes was a rare talent — a songwriter, satirist, and performer whose work shaped the course of British comedy and pop music from the 1960s onward. From the anarchic brilliance of The Bonzo Dog Do-Dah Band, to his pivotal role in Monty Python, to the Beatles parody The Rutles, Neil’s career charted a uniquely subversive and joyful path through music, television, and film.
And yet, despite his immense influence, Neil was never fully recognised by the mainstream. His work existed at the intersection of high musicality and surreal humour; too clever for novelty status, too funny for serious rock, and too modest to self-promote. Since his death in 2019, fans new and old have been calling for a proper celebration of his legacy.
This concert film , How Sweet to Be an Idiot, is that long-overdue celebration. With exclusive performances, rare footage, and appearances from those who loved and worked with him, it offers a heartfelt, funny, and deeply musical tribute to a man who deserves to be remembered.
The time is right and the audience is waiting.
