Droitwich Spa: Rik Mayall mural unveiled in hometown
A mural dedicated to comedy legend Rik Mayall has been unveiled in the town where he grew up. The special piece of artwork has been created in an empty shop unit on Droitwich Spa's High Street and will help promote the town's first Rik Mayall Comedy Festival. Artist Milan Illustrator said it depicts Mayall as the king of comedy and features "five famous outfits from Rik's very famous characters".The community-run festival is taking place from 31 May to 7 June. Tickets for the headliners, who will play the Norbury Theatre, go on sale next month.
Greg Davies, Peter Richardson, Shaparak Khorsandi and Helen Lederer have all been confirmed for the event. Mayall was one of the UK's most loved and best known performers when he died in 2014, aged 56. A pioneer of the 1980s alternative comedy scene, his work included The Young Ones, Blackadder and Bottom. Illustrator, an artist from Birmingham, told BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester he was familiar with Droitwich Spa and had included local references such as its radio mast.
He added that one scene in the mural featured a sign for Droitwich Spa and Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall on their famous Bottom bench. He said his favourite part of his mural was the playing card depicting Mayall as the King of Comedy. Illustrator added he was "proud" to have worked on the design to honour the comedian and had spent hours working on it over the Christmas holidays. The artwork attracted a crowd when it was unveiled in the town on Monday. One shopper told the BBC it was "full of fun" and she loved it. "It's just what we need as well, something different," she said. And another passer-by said he liked the way it brightened up the street.
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