John Cleese may sue over Fawlty Towers 'rip-off'

John Cleese is considering legal action against a production company over what he claims is a "rip-off" of Fawlty Towers.

The comedian said he had been unaware of the "astonishing financial success" of the Faulty Towers Dining Experience from Imagination Workshop.

In a series of posts on Twitter, Cleese, 76, said the production had been using the classic sitcom's concept, characters and dialogue "without the need to pay (co-writer) Connie Booth and me a single cent".

John Cleese played Basil Fawlty in the hit sitcom Credit: PA

The two-hour interactive show - which debuted in Brisbane in 1997 and has been staged in London - has seen thousands of people enjoy the antics of "Basil, Sybil and Manuel", according to a description on the company's website.

After one Twitter user branded the situation "f****** shocking", Cleese replied: "That's the phrasing I'm hoping to use in court."

Imagination Workshop said it was "staggered" by Cleese's "vitriol" and claimed the actor had known about the show for years.