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BBC News
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Friends of comedy giant Rik Mayall enjoy festival in his memory
A comedy festival in memory of Rik Mayall has been proclaimed a huge success with friends of the actor and writer saying he would have loved died 11 years ago and more than 200 performances have been taking place this week across 30 different venues in his hometown of Droitwich, in Worcestershire as part of a celebration of the Davies, Helen Lederer and Shaparak Khorsandi have taken part with Mayall's friend and collaborator Ben Elton the festival's patron."Of course he would love it what's not to love?" said friend Lederer. "He would say bring it on." "I know he would have loved it, because he got some stinky reviews - he carried on, it's a very competitive world and he believed in what he was doing and he's no different to anyone else."Earlier this week, Lederer took part in an intimate and no-holds-barred evening at a sold-out Norbury Theatre, where Mayall first performed as a child. She said the festival was "eight days of amazing comedy events, a mix and match of free events".Speaking afterwards, she described her favourite memories of Mayall, who she said was always encouraging and "accepting of everyone"."He loved what he did and he loved what other people did, and apart from being the most charismatic performer ever," she have said they would like to make it an annual event and local traders said the town had been extremely Fellows, landlady of the Old Cock Inn which sits opposite the theatre, has been hosting events. "It's been amazing. Absolutely fantastic, " she said."You just couldn't imagine I don't think the impact on Droitwich that's it's had."She said so much had been going on and that she had enjoyed hosting acts."We've just been rammed all day - Saturday was just a stupidly insane day busy-wise and I think the whole town was just buzzing with it and even for a Monday night we had two nearly sell-out shows here and we've got sell out shows all week which is great."It's not just for local people, there's people down from Scotland, from Dorset staying all week or the weekend." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Droitwich Spa celebrates Rik Mayall with comedy festival
For an entire generation growing up the 1980s and 1990s, Rik Mayall was one of the most familiar - and fascinating - faces on now, 11 years after his death at the age of 56, his legacy is being celebrated with the first-ever comedy festival in his memory, in his hometown of Droitwich Spa, friend and frequent collaborator - and festival patron - Ben Elton said it was only right that his contribution to comedy was being honoured."What Rik did was so exuberantly, fabulously, gleefully huge, that in the right moment, it was probably about as funny as it's possible to be," he told the BBC. Elton first met Mayall at the University of Manchester, before they went on to collaborate on The Young Ones, Blackadder, and Filthy Rich and Catflap."Rik had an essential star quality which was kind of unique", said Elton. "I've been fortunate enough to work with some great talent."None have had the quality Rik had." The Rik Mayall Comedy Festival, which begins on Saturday and runs for eight days, will see stand-up from well-known figures such as Greg Davies, Helen Lederer and Shaparak Khorsandi as well as less-established comedians, alongside music, magic and spoken word epicentre will be the town's Norbury Theatre, where Mayall first performed as a child in a production of Waiting for Godot."Everyone in the town is so pleased with what we're doing," said festival director Stuart Panrucker. "I think it's really given everyone a sense of ownership of Rik and... [the chance to] say he's one of ours and give us something to be proud of." Mayall went on to star in the political satire The New Statesman, as the Thatcherite MP Alan B'stard, and as perennial loser Richard Richard in Bottom, which he created and wrote with another university friend, Ade are still repeated on television to this day. "I think Rik's comedy is timeless," said producer and writer John Lloyd, who worked on Blackadder. "It's unique - there's nobody I can think of who's even close to being like him."Everything Rik did was so full of charisma. It was like magic."There was an aura about him." The festival will give Mayall's prolific output the chance to find a new legion of fans, added Elton."Obviously lots of people don't need alerting to his brilliance, but they can be reminded," he said. "And perhaps some new people can discover it." In a statement, Mayall's family lent their support to the event."We are really touched that Droitwich Spa has chosen to honour Rik with a comedy festival," they said. "His mum and dad would have been so proud and especially pleased that the Norbury Theatre features prominently."Spending a week laughing is the perfect way to remember Rik." The Rik Mayall Comedy Festival runs in Droitwich Spa between 31 May and 7June. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Cat Laughs Comedy Festival visits Belfast and Londonderry
For the first time in its history, Ireland's longest-running comedy festival has come to Northern Ireland. Billed as Ireland's "annual craic pilgrimage", organisers of the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival said it has been "heralding the start of the summer season since 1995".It has previously played host to big names like Bill Murray, Suzy Eddie Izzard, and Tommy Tiernan, and, from now until 26 May, there are 26 shows across Belfast and Karl Spain, who is performing in Belfast, says Northern Ireland is "definitely on the map now for comedy". This year's acts include Colin Murphy, Diona Doherty, Seann Walsh, Deirdre O'Kane and Chris Cook, who founded the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival, says he wanted to create something linked to theatre."Cat Laughs is a celebration and an exploration of stand up. It's not a comedy festival, it's a stand-up comedy festival and that's very particular."For Mr Cook, the difference between "comedy" and "stand-up comedy" is an important one. He says that, unlike many other performers, stand-up comedians are immediately aware of the audience's reaction. "If people aren't laughing, it's not working. It can be a very lonely place." Over the last 30 years, acts such as Dara Ó Briain and Kevin Bridges have performed at the when Mr Cook first founded it, he says he had no idea if it would work. "A lot of shows didn't sell. But there was something quite magical about it."Now, the festival is venturing north from its usual venue in Cook says he was "inspired" by County Down comedian Shane Todd's "brilliant" performance at last year's also cites the thriving comedy scene in Northern Ireland as a reason for the festival coming to Northern Ireland."You see the explosion of stand-up comedy [in Northern Ireland]. I thought: 'Why don't we bring comedians from all corners of Ireland to share a stage?'"There's a passion for comedy in Northern Ireland". Comedian Karl Spain says Belfast "feels very exciting"."There's lots happening," he says the comedy scene in Northern Ireland is "growing more and more", with the likes of Colin Geddis, Shane Todd and Paddy McDonnell who are now well established."There are so many now that are really good, and very different," he says."It's going to be the first of many festivals in Belfast. I think it will be a regular thing."Spain says comedy festivals provide an opportunity for up-and-coming performers to "gauge their ability". Spain himself performed on a line-up that included Jimmy Carr, Bill Bailey, and David Cross in the early 2000s."It reassures you that you are on the right path," he admits that the cost of organising comedy festivals is rising year on year but says he organises Cat Laughs "for the love of it". "We're bringing these great comedians together not as a commercial proposition - it's an artistic proposition."
