Rik Mayall comedy festival planned for Droitwich

The Worcestershire city of Droitwich is planning to launch a comedy pageant in 2025, to honour former resident Rik Mayall.

The comedy star – who appeared in reveals similar to The Younger Ones, Backside and The New Statesman – grew up within the city and carried out many occasions on the Norbury Theatre. It’s believed his first stage efficiency was on the Norbury as a small boy, showing in a manufacturing of Ready For Godot that was directed by his father.

Mayall later gave his investigative reporter character Kevin Turvey a background in Worcestershire.

Mayall died in June 2014, and the city’s council is hoping to launch the pageant in June 2025 to mark this, and make it an annual occasion.

Councillor Richard Morris instructed The Droitwich Commonplace: “The household was contacted and it was thought a statue ‘wasn’t actually Rik and what he was about’. They would like a pageant as it might assist maintain comedy – which he beloved a lot and labored so onerous on – alive. One factor Droitwich does properly is festivals and one factor Rik did extraordinarily properly was comedy so hopefully will probably be a successful mixture.”

Norbury Theatre’s chair Anne Lane, mentioned: “We’re actually hoping we will get the inaugural pageant going as a becoming tribute to Rik, in addition to boosting and inspiring extra of the city’s comedic expertise. It’s incredible – as the primary place Rik carried out – to be concerned on this thrilling enterprise.”

Showing on the BBC, she added the present considering was to get the city’s pubs and cafes concerned, together with novice comedians performing. “We hope to get an enormous comic right here for the climax of the pageant”, including: “A blue plaque is a blue plaque – it may be anyplace. However a comedy pageant in Rik’s title, yearly, brings his reminiscence again.”

Additional particulars shall be launched concerning the comedy pageant when plans have been made.

Backside, the Nineteen Nineties sitcom Mayall starred in with Adrian Edmondson, is because of be celebrated through new documentary Backside: Uncovered on TV channel Gold tonight (18th April).