Rik Mayall

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Rik Mayall
Spouse
Barbara Robbin
(m. 1985)
Children3

Richard Michael Mayall (7 March 1958 – 9 June 2014) known professionally as Rik Mayall, was an English comedian, actor and writer. He formed a close partnership with

Ade Edmondson while they were students at Manchester University, and was a pioneer of alternative comedy
in the 1980s.

Mayall starred in numerous successful comedy series throughout his career, including The Young Ones (1982–1984), The Comic Strip Presents... (1983–2012), Filthy Rich & Catflap (1987), The New Statesman (1987–1994), Bottom (1991–1995), and Believe Nothing (2003). He also starred in the comedy films Drop Dead Fred (1991) and Guest House Paradiso (1999). Mayall won a Primetime Emmy Award for his voiceover performance as Mr. Toad in TVC London's 1996 animated movie The Willows in Winter (a sequel to TVC's 1995 production of The Wind in the Willows, where Mayall also played Toad). His comedic style was described as energetic "post-punk".[1]

Mayall died of a heart attack at his home in London on 9 June 2014 at the age of 56. BBC Television director Danny Cohen praised him as a "truly brilliant" comedian with a unique stage presence, whose "fireball creativity" and approach to sitcom had inspired a generation of comedy stars.[1]

Early life

The second of four children, Mayall was born on 7 March 1958 at 98 Pittmans Field,

née Harrild; 1930–2018) and John Mayall (1925–2011).[2] He had an older brother, Anthony, and two younger sisters, Libby and Kate.[3] When Mayall was three years old, he and his parents—who taught drama—moved to Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire,[2] where he spent the rest of his childhood and performed in his parents' plays.[4]

He attended

Ade Edmondson;[8] Ben Elton, a fellow student; and Lise Mayer, with whom he later co-wrote The Young Ones.[9]

Career

Young Ones and The Comic Strip

Edmondson and Mayall gained their reputation at

Peter Richardson, French and Saunders, Arnold Brown, and Pete Richens setting up their own comedy club called "The Comic Strip"[12] in the Raymond Revuebar, a strip club in Soho.[13] Mayall's Kevin Turvey character gained a regular slot in A Kick Up the Eighties, first broadcast in 1981. He appeared as "Rest Home" Ricky in Richard O'Brien's Shock Treatment, a sequel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He played Dentonvale's resident attendant as the love interest to Nell Campbell
's Nurse Ansalong.

Mayall's television appearances as Kevin Turvey led to a

rockumentary" starring Mayall, Richardson, Edmondson and Planer as a heavy metal band
.

At the time The Comic Strip Presents... was negotiated, the BBC took an interest in The Young Ones, a sitcom written by Mayall and his then-girlfriend Lise Mayer, in the same anarchic vein as Comic Strip. Ben Elton joined the writers. The series was commissioned and first broadcast in 1982, shortly after Comic Strip. Mayall played Rick, a pompous sociology student and Cliff Richard devotee. Mayall maintained his double-act with Edmondson, who starred as violent heavy metal medical student Vyvyan. Nigel Planer (as hippie Neil) and Christopher Ryan (as "Mike the cool person") also starred, with additional material written and performed by Alexei Sayle.

The first series was successful and a second was screened in 1984. The show owed a comic debt to Spike Milligan, but Milligan disapproved of Mayall's style of performance. Milligan once wrote: "Rik Mayall is putrid – absolutely vile. He thinks nose-picking is funny and farting and all that. He is the arsehole of British comedy."[15]

In 1986, Mayall played the private detective in the video of "Peter Gunn" by Art of Noise featuring Duane Eddy.[16][17]

Becoming a household name

Mayall continued to work on The Comic Strip films. He returned to

Lord Flashheart in the Blackadder II episode titled "Bells". A descendant of this character, Squadron Commander Flashheart, was in the Blackadder Goes Forth episode "Private Plane". In the same episode, he was reunited with Edmondson, who played German flying ace Baron von Richthofen the "Red Baron", in a scene where he comes to rescue Captain Blackadder from the Germans. A decade later, Mayall also appeared in Blackadder: Back & Forth as Robin Hood.[18]

In 1986, Mayall joined Nigel Planer, Edmondson and Elton to star as Richie Rich in Filthy Rich & Catflap, which was billed as a follow-up to The Young Ones. The idea of Filthy Rich & Catflap was a reaction to comments made by Jimmy Tarbuck about The Young Ones. The series' primary focus was to highlight the "has been" status of light entertainment. While Mayall received positive critical reviews, viewing figures were poor and the series was never repeated on the BBC. In later years, release on video, DVD and repeats on UK TV found a following. Mayall suggested that the series did not last because he was uncomfortable acting in an Elton project, when they had been co-writers on The Young Ones.[19]

In the same year, Mayall had a No. 1 hit in the

UK Singles Chart, when he and his co-stars from The Young Ones teamed with Cliff Richard to record "Living Doll" for the inaugural Comic Relief campaign.[20] Mayall played Rick one last time in the Comic Relief stage-show and supported the Comic Relief cause for the rest of his life. 1987 saw Mayall co-star with Edmondson in one episode of the ITV sitcom Hardwicke House, although adverse reaction from press and viewers saw ITV withdraw the series after two episodes, leaving their appearance unbroadcast.[21][22] He appeared on the children's television series Jackanory. His crazed portrayal of Roald Dahl's George's Marvellous Medicine proved memorable.[23] However, the BBC received complaints "with viewers claiming both story and presentation to be both dangerous and offensive".[24]

In 1987, Mayall played fictional

Yorkshire Television) written by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran. The character was a satirical portrait of Tory Members of Parliament (MPs) in the United Kingdom. The programme ran for four series—incorporating two BBC specials—between 1987 and '94 and was successful critically and in the ratings. In a similar vein to his appearance on Jackanory, in 1989 Mayall starred in a series of bit shows for ITV called Grim Tales, in which he narrated Grimm Brothers fairy tales while puppets acted the stories. In the early 1990s, Mayall starred in humorous adverts for Nintendo games and consoles. With money from the ads, he bought his house in London which he called "Nintendo Towers".[11]

1990s

In 1991, Edmondson and Mayall co-starred in the West End production of Beckett's Waiting for Godot at the Queen's Theatre, with Mayall playing Vladimir, Edmondson as Estragon and Christopher Ryan as Lucky.[25] Here they came up with the idea for Bottom, which they said was a cruder cousin to Waiting for Godot.[26] Bottom was commissioned by the BBC and three series were shown between 1991 and 1995. Mayall appeared in Bottom as Richard 'Richie' Richard alongside Edmondson's Eddie Elizabeth Hitler. The series featured slapstick violence taken to new extremes, and gained a strong cult following.[27]

In 1993, following the second series, Mayall and Edmondson decided to take a stage-show version of the series on a national tour, Bottom: Live. It was a commercial success, filling large venues. Four additional stage shows were embarked upon in 1995, 1997, 2001 and 2003, each meeting with great success. The violent nature of these shows saw both Edmondson and Mayall ending up in hospital at various points. A film version, Guest House Paradiso was released in 1999. A fourth TV series was also written but not commissioned by the BBC.

Mayall starred alongside

British Comedy Awards, and a second series of three was broadcast in early 1995. He provided the voice for Little Sod in Simon Brett's How to Be a Little Sod, written in 1991 and adapted as ten consecutive episodes broadcast by the BBC in 1995. In the early 1990s, he auditioned for the roles of Banzai, Zazu, and Timon in The Lion King (1994); he was asked to audition by lyricist Tim Rice but the role of Zazu went to Rowan Atkinson
.

In 1995, Mayall featured in a production of the play

nervous breakdown and fled to Belgium, where he remained for several days, and the play closed early.[28] In 2007, Mayall said of the incident: "You don't leave the trenches ... selfishness is one thing, being a __ is another. I mustn't start that war again."[29] Edmondson poked fun at the event during their stage tours. Also in 1995, Mayall provided the voice of Mr. Toad in The Wind in the Willows. In Bottom Live: The Big Number Two Tour, after Mayall gave mocking gestures to the audience and insulted their town in a silly voice, Edmondson said, "Have you finished yet? It's just I'm beginning to understand why Stephen Fry __ off." In Bottom Live 2003: Weapons Grade Y-Fronts Tour, after Richie accidentally fondles Eddie, he replies, "I see why Stephen Fry left that play." Towards the end of the Cell Mates run, Mayall revealed a replica gun—a prop from the play—to a passer-by in the street. Mayall was cautioned over the incident and later conceded that this was "incredibly stupid, even by my standards".[30] From 1999, Mayall was the voice of the black-headed seagull Kehaar, in the first and second series of the animated television programme, Watership Down. In the late 1990s Mayall was featured in a number of adverts for Virgin Trains.[31]

In 1998, Mayall was involved in a serious quad bike accident. The pair wrote the first draft of their feature film Guest House Paradiso while Mayall was still hospitalised. They planned to co-direct, but Edmondson took on the duties himself. Mayall returned to work doing voice-overs. His first post-accident acting job was in the 1998 Jonathan Creek Christmas special, as DI Gideon Pryke, a role he later reprised in 2013. Jonathan Creek also featured Adrian Edmondson in a recurring role, though the two did not appear in any episodes together.

2000s

In 2000, Mayall voiced around half of the characters for the PlayStation and Windows PC video game Hogs of War. Also that year, Mayall appeared in the video production of Jesus Christ Superstar as King Herod. He joked in the "making of" documentary, which was included on the DVD release, that "the real reason why millions of people want to come and see this is because I'm in it! Me and Jesus!" In 2001, Mayall acted as Lt Daniel Blaney in the episode "The White Knight Stratagem" from the series Murder Rooms: The Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes. In 2002, Mayall teamed up with Marks and Gran once more when he starred as Professor Adonis Cnut in the ITV sitcom, Believe Nothing. However, the sitcom failed to repeat the success of The New Statesman and lasted for only one series.

Following 2003's Bottom: Live tour, Bottom 5: Weapons Grade Y-Fronts, Mayall stated that he and Edmondson would return with another tour.[32]

In 2004 Mayall had a starring cameo role playing the record boss in the video short "ABBA: Our Last Video Ever".[33]

Mayall voiced Edwin in the BBC show

Trafalgar Studios
, a heavily re-written version toured theatres nationwide, with Marks and Gran constantly updating the script to keep it topical. However, Mayall succumbed to chronic fatigue and flu in May 2007 and withdrew from the show. Alan B'Stard was played by his understudy, Mike Sherman during his hiatus.

Mayall was cast as the

corpse.[36] Since Mayall's death there has been an outcry for the release of this footage from his fans. He told the story of this hiring/firing on his second website blog for his film, Evil Calls: The Raven (2008).[37] For Evil Calls, Mayall's role as Winston the Butler was shot in 2002, when the film was titled Alone in the Dark. The film was not completed until 2008, and was released under its new Evil Calls title to distance it from the Alone in the Dark
computer game film.

Mayall provided the voice of the

Sir Lancelot. Mayall also had a recurring role in the Channel Five remake of the lighthearted drama series, Minder. He also provided the voice of Cufflingk in the 2005 animated film Valiant.[38]

In September 2009, Mayall played a supporting role in the television programme

Meridian Broadcasting
- as David Roper, a recovering party animal and tenuous friend of the families in and around Chettham Park House.

2010–2014

In April 2010, Motivation Records released Mayall's England Football anthem "

Shakespeare. On the track, Mayall performs an adapted speech from Shakespeare's Henry V. In June 2010, the official BBC Match of the Day compilation CD (2010 Edition) was released by Sony/Universal featuring Noble England. After Mayall's death in 2014, a campaign led by Jon Morter began to get "Noble England" to No. 1 during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It rapidly climbed the official charts in the United Kingdom and reached no. 7.[40]

In September 2010, an audio book, narrated by Mayall, Cutey and the Sofaguard was released by Digital Download. The book was written by Chris Wade and released by Wisdom Twins Books. In the same month, Mayall played the voice of Roy's Dad and recorded five episodes of animation[41] In November 2010, Mayall provided narrative for five different characters for CDs accompanying children's books published by Clickety Books. The books aid speech and language development by bombarding the child with troublesome sound targets. He recorded introductions and narratives for the titles.

On 5 March 2011, Mayall appeared on

Let's Dance for Comic Relief in which he came on stage and attacked Ade Edmondson with a frying pan during his performance of The Dying Swan ballet.[42]
Edmondson mentioned backstage that it was the first time in eight years they had done something like that together and claimed Mayall had left with a small bump on his head. It would be the last time the duo performed together in public.

In April 2011, Mayall again revived the character of Alan B'Stard to make an appearance in a satirical television advertisement for the

Bombardier Bitter in the UK.[43] The adverts landed broadcaster UKTV Dave in trouble with Ofcom when they were found to breach the Ofcom code for linking alcohol with sexual attractiveness or success.[44]

On 23 August 2012, the BBC announced that Edmondson and Mayall's characters of Richie and Eddie would be returning in 2013 in

Hooligan's Island, a television adaptation of their 1997 tour of the same name.[45] However, on 15 October 2012, Edmondson announced during an interview with BBC radio presenter Mark Powlett
that the project was cancelled prior to production as he wished to pursue other interests.

In September 2012, Mayall starred in The Last Hurrah, a six-episode, full-cast audio series that he also co-wrote with Craig Green and Dominic Vince.[46]

In November 2012, Mayall narrated several children's books on the Me Books app, such as The Getaway and Banana! by children's illustrator and author Ed Vere.

In October 2013 he appeared in Channel 4 sitcom Man Down, playing the father of the protagonist, Greg Davies—despite being only ten years older.

On 7 May 2014, Mayall made one of his last recorded performances in the form of poetry and voice-overs read on English rock band Magic Eight Ball's second album, Last Of The Old Romantics (released on 10 November 2014).

Mayall's final TV appearance was in the first episode of the second series of Crackanory, which was broadcast posthumously on 24 September 2014 on Dave.

Personal life

Family

Mayall married Scottish make-up artist Barbara Robbin in 1985, and the couple had three children. The couple met in 1981 while filming A Kick Up the Eighties and embarked on a secret affair. At the time, Mayall was in a long-term relationship with Lise Mayer. Upon discovering that Robbin was pregnant, Mayall left Mayer (who was also pregnant with his child at the time) while on a shopping trip with her and Ben Elton, and eloped with Robbin to Barbados. Mayer would later suffer a miscarriage. In a 2002 newspaper article, Mayall said that Mayer had since forgiven him.[47]

Political activism

Mayall twice publicly involved himself in political campaigns. In 2002, he dressed up as

Alan B'Stard to oppose the adoption of an alternative non-proportional electoral system for Westminster Parliamentary elections.[49]

Quad bike accident

On 9 April 1998, Mayall was injured when he crashed a

haematomas and a fractured skull.[52] During the following 96 hours, he was kept sedated to prevent movement which could cause pressure on his brain. His family was warned that he could die or have brain damage. He was in an induced coma for several days.[52] After five days doctors felt it safe to bring him back to consciousness. In a BBC Radio 2 interview in 2000, Mayall said that when filming Guest House Paradiso, Edmondson would make sure he had afternoons free to rest from filming following the accident. He was left with epilepsy as a result of the accident for which he had to take daily medication for the rest of his life.[53]

During Mayall's hospitalisation, the Comic Strip special Four Men in a Car was broadcast for the first time. The film involves Mayall's character being hit by a car.[11] Mayall and Edmondson joked about the event in stage versions of Bottom, Edmondson quipping "If only I'd fixed those brakes properly", Mayall referring to "quad bike flashbacks", and Mayall referring to himself: "You must know him, that tosser who fell off the quad bike."[54] In his 2005 spoof autobiography, Mayall claims that he rose from the dead.

Death

On 9 June 2014, Mayall died at his home in

Ade Edmondson, Nigel Planer and Alexei Sayle, along with Young Ones co-writer Ben Elton. Edmondson also served as a pallbearer.[58] In accordance with his wishes, he was buried on his family estate at Pasture Farm, East Allington, Devon.[59][60]

Recognition, critical opinion and legacy

Unofficial blue plaque to Mayall in Hammersmith, London

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Eye of the Needle Sailor on train
An American Werewolf in London 2nd Chess Player
Couples and Robbers Morris David Boyd Directed by Clare Peploe, nominated for an Oscar.
Shock Treatment "Rest Home" Ricky
The Orchard End Murder Policeman Uncredited
1986 Whoops Apocalypse Specialist Catering Commander
1987 Eat the Rich Micky Feature film from The Comic Strip Presents...
1988 Managing Problem People. Behavioral skills for leaders Big Mouth Billie
1991 Little Noises Mathias
Drop Dead Fred Drop Dead Fred
The Princess and the Goblin Prince Froglip Voice, dubbed voice for the 1992 English-language version
1992 Carry On Columbus The Sultan
1993 The Thief and the Cobbler Brigand Voice
1994 Asterix Conquers America
Cacofonix
Voice, English version, uncredited
1995 The Snow Queen The Robber King Voice
The Wind in the Willows Mr. Toad Voice, TV movie
1996 The Willows in Winter Voice, TV movie
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
1997 Remember Me? Ian
Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis Marty Starr
1999 A Monkey's Tale Gerard the Gormless Voice, dubbed voice for the 2000 English-language version
Guest House Paradiso Richard Twat
2000 Blackadder: Back & Forth Robin Hood Short, commissioned especially for showing in the Millennium Dome
Jesus Christ Superstar King Herod
Great Performances King Herod Episode: "Jesus Christ Superstar"
Merlin: The Return Merlin
2001 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Peeves Cut from final edit of movie
Kevin of the North (a.k.a. Chilly Dogs) Carter
2002 Day of the Sirens Domo Childs
2003 Chaos and Cadavers Lennox Crowly
Sindy: The Fairy Princess Wizard Azbar Voice
Oh Marbella! Greg Dubois
Cold Dark Vet
2004 Churchill: The Hollywood Years Baxter
2004: ABBA: Our Last Video Ever record company mogul
2005 Valiant Cufflingk Voice
2007 Snow White: The Sequel The Seven Dwarves Voice, English dub
2010 Just for the Record Andy Wiseman
2012 Eldorado Chef Mario
Errors of the Human Body Samuel Mead
2014 One by One Ernest
2015 De ontsnapping ("The Escape") Landlord Final film role (Mayall died shortly after filming had finished)

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Wolcott PC Fell 1 series
A Kick Up the Eighties Kevin Turvey 1 series
Kevin Turvey: The Man Behind the Green Door
1982 Whoops Apocalypse Biff Episode: "Autumn Cannibalism"
1982–1984 The Young Ones Rick 2 series, also co-writer with Ben Elton and Lise Mayer
1982 Northern Lights Scottish Television play with Judy Parfitt and Annette Crosbie. First broadcast in May 1982[72]
1983 The Black Adder
Mad Gerald
Episode: "The Black Seal"
Note: Character of "Mad Gerald" is credited as playing himself
1983–2012 The Comic Strip Presents... Various roles Several episodes and specials (appears in 19 of the 41 episodes)
1985 Happy Families Priest Episode: "Madeleine"
1986–1995 Jackanory Narrator Voice, Episodes: George's Marvellous Medicine & Jack and the Beanstalk (Christmas Special)
1986
Saturday Live
Richard Dangerous Sketches featuring The Dangerous Brothers
Blackadder II
Lord Flashheart
Episode: "Bells"
Peter Gunn
Private eye Music video
1987 Filthy Rich & Catflap Gertrude "Richie" Rich 1 series
Hardwicke House Lenny Episode 5, "The Old Boys". Guest appearance.
1987–1994 The New Statesman Alan Beresford B'Stard 4 series
1989 Blackadder Goes Forth Squadron Leader The Lord Flashheart Episode: "Private Plane"
1989–1991 Grim Tales The Storyteller 2 series
1991–1995 Bottom Richard "Richie" Richard 3 series, also co-creator with
Ade Edmondson
1993–1995 Rik Mayall Presents:
Micky Love
Briefest Encounter
Dancing Queen
The Big One
Dirty Old Town
Clair De Lune
Various roles Two series of three episodes
1995 The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends Tom Thumb Voice, Episode: "The Tale of Two Bad Mice and Johnny Town-Mouse"
How to Be a Little Sod Little Sod Voice
1997 The Bill Patrick Massie Humpty Dumpty – Parts Two and Three
The Forgotten Toys Voice
The Canterville Ghost Reverend Dampier TV movie
1998 In the Red Dominic De'Ath
Jonathan Creek Detective Inspector Gideon Pryke Episode: "Black Canary" (Christmas Special)
Tom and Vicky Bert/ Squidgy 26 Episodes [73]
1998–2003 Jellikins Narrator Voice
1999 Watership Down Kehaar Voice, Series 1 and 2
2001 Tales of Uplift and Moral Improvement[74] Mrs. Ffine Carmody One series, all 13 episodes
2001
Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes
Lt. Daniel Blaney The White Knight Stratagem
2002 Believe Nothing Quadruple Professor Adonis Cnut 1 series
2004 Violent Nation Presenter All 3 episodes (Discovery Channel)
2004–2005 Shoebox Zoo Edwin the Eagle Voice, 2 series
2005 All About George George Kinsey 1 series[75]
2005–2006 King Arthur's Disasters King Arthur Voice
2006 SpongeBob SquarePants Lord Reginald Voice, Episode: "Chimps Ahoy"
2009 Agatha Christie's Marple Alec Nicholson Episode: "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?"
Midsomer Murders David Roper Episode: "The Creeper"
2011–2013 Who Let The Dogs Out? Narrator Voice, Series 1–3
2013 Jonathan Creek Detective Inspector Gideon Pryke Episode: "The Clue Of The Savant's Thumb" (Easter Special)
Man Down Richard Davies (Dad) Season 1 only, plus 2013 Christmas Special
Damo & Ivor
Alistair
2014 Crackanory Story Teller
Muriel & Floyd Fritz Voice, Episode: "Hell in the Pump"

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
1978 The Comedy of Errors Dromio of Syracuse Performed at the Oxford Playhouse in Oxford
1985 The Government Inspector Ivan Khlestakov Performed at the National Theatre in London
1988 The Common Pursuit Nick Finchling Performed at the
Phoenix Theatre
in London
1991 Waiting for Godot Vladimir Performed at the Queen's Theatre in London
1993 Bottom Live Richard "Richie" Richard Recorded at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton
1995 Cell Mates Blake Performed at the Albery Theatre in the West End
Bottom Live: The Big Number Two Tour Richard "Richie" Richard Recorded at the New Theatre in Oxford
1997 Bottom Live 3: Hooligan's Island Richard "Richie" Richard Recorded at the Hippodrome in Bristol
2000 A Family Affair Henry Performed at the Theatre Royal, Brighton
2001 Bottom Live 2001: An Arse Oddity Richard "Richie" Richard Recorded at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham
2003 Present Laughter Gary Essendine Performed at the Theatre Royal, Bath
Bottom Live 2003: Weapons Grade Y-Fronts Tour Richard "Richie" Richard Recorded at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend-on-Sea
2006–2007 The New Statesman Alan B'Stard Performed at
Trafalgar Studios
in London
2007 (25/5-30/6) The New Statesman Alan B'Stard Performed at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley, London

Video games

Year Title Role
1996 Bud Tucker in Double Trouble Dick Tate
2000 Hogs of War Sergeant I.P Grimly/Narrator; Nobby; Ginger; Den; Basil; Percy; Smith; Bastille; Le Cont; Sanglier; Porc; Yehudi; Duski; Mule; Shogun; Feng Shui; Raw Fish; Herman; Herr Kut; Herr Dry; Herr Raid

He was originally going to be the voice of Newton in 2014's LittleBigPlanet 3, however his passing forced Sumo Digital to replace him with a new actor, being Hugh Laurie.

Books

  • Bigger than Hitler – Better than Christ (2005) (semi-autobiographical),

Audiobooks

Year Title Author(s) Notes
1992 Grim Tales Brothers Grimm
More Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales
1994 Krindlekrax Philip Ridley
1999 The Sound of Trumpets John Mortimer
2000 The Dr. Seuss Collection Dr. Seuss Consists of
How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
2006 Decline and Fall Evelyn Waugh
2007 High Society Ben Elton
2008 The Silver Spoon of Solomon Snow Kaye Umansky
2009 I Tell You It's Burt Reynolds Galton and Simpson Radio comedy for BBC Radio 2 as part of Galton and Simpson's Half Hour
2010 Cutey and the Sofaguard Chris Wade
2012 The Last Hurrah Craig Green, Dominic Vince and Rik Mayall Audio comedy series, also co-wrote scripts

Awards and nominations

  • 1993 –
    British Comedy Award
    for Best TV Comedy Actor – won
  • 1997 –
    Primetime Emmy Award
    for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance – won

References

  1. ^ a b "Rik Mayall's wife mystified by his death at age 56". The New Zealand Herald. Associated Press. 10 June 2014. Archived from the original on 9 June 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  2. ^ . Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Rik Mayall Biography (1958–)". Film Reference. Advameg, Inc. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  4. ^ "Tributes paid to Droitwich comedian Rik Mayall". Droitwich Advertiser. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  5. ^ "Rik Mayall's anarchic life". The Australian. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  6. ^ Five Mantras for life by Rik Mayall, Honorary Doctorate of the University of Exeter. YouTube. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021.
  7. .
  8. ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (10 June 2014). "Rik Mayall: 'the funniest man of his generation'". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  9. ^ Gibbons, Brett (9 June 2014). "Comedian and actor Rik Mayall dies aged 56". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  10. ^ Fletcher, Alex; Nissim, Mayer (10 June 2014). "Rik Mayall 1958–2014 obituary: A true one-off and comedy eccentric". Digital Spy. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  11. ^ a b c Maume, Chris (9 June 2014). "Rik Mayall: Comedian and actor who helped revolutionise the British comedy scene as the punk poet and Cliff Richard fan, Rick". The Independent. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  12. ^ Johnson, David (1 January 1981). "Something Funny is Happening in Stripland". Over21, page 36, republished at Shapersofthe80s. London. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Obituary: Rik Mayall". BBC News. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  14. ^ Singh, Anita (9 June 2014). "Rik Mayall dies aged 56". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  15. . Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  16. ^ "History of the Art of Noise".
  17. ^ The Art of Noise featuring Duane Eddy - Peter Gunn (Official Video). YouTube. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021.
  18. ^ Monahan, Mark (9 June 2014). "Rik Mayall: his 10 best performances". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  19. ^ Ngowan, Eric Haynes; Bacon, Lucy (2 August 2004). "The Young Ones". Comedy Connections. Series 2. Episode 6. BBC.
  20. ^ Sherwin, Adam (11 June 2014). "Rik Mayall's 'lost' England World Cup anthem crashes into Top 40 as tribute to late comic". The Independent. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  21. ^ Jones, Paul (27 May 2011). "Mrs Ed Miliband's role in "banned" TV show revealed". Radio Times. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  22. ^ Worthington, TJ (2006). "Archive Review: Hardwicke House". Some Of The Corpses Are Amusing. Archived from the original on 20 December 2008.
  23. ^ "New chapter opening for Jackanory". BBC News. 4 July 2005. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  24. ^ Marcus, Laurence (14 October 2004). "Jackanory (1965)". Television Heaven. Archived from the original on 5 February 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2007.
  25. . Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  26. ^ Sims, David (9 June 2014). "Remembering Rik Mayall, Britain's Finest Comic Firecracker". The Wire. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  27. ^ "British comedian Rik Mayall known for his off-beat slapstick". The Globe and Mail. Reuters. 9 June 2014. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  28. ^ Hill, Amelia (22 September 2012). "Stephen Fry returns to London stage 17 years after abandoning Cell Mates". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  29. ^ Shenton, Mark (11 January 2007). "Rik Mayall - Theatre.com". The Rik Mayall Website. Archived from the original on 19 May 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  30. ^ "Police Rebuke Rik Mayall for 'Stupid' Gun Prank". The Rik Mayall Website. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  31. ^ "Rik Mayall "Virgin Trains" Advert 2". YouTube. 6 November 2010. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  32. ^ "The Rik Mayall FAQ". Orangeneko.com. Archived from the original on 28 October 2004. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  33. ^ "ABBA: Our Last Video Ever". IMDb.com. 12 May 2004. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  34. ^ Coveney, Michael (10 June 2014). "Rik Mayall obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  35. .
  36. ^ S, McKay (9 September 2019). "Review: Matthew Lewis at FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention Fall 2019". MuggleNet. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  37. ^ "The Raven Evil Calls". House of Fear.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 January 2009.
  38. ^ "The Voices of Valiant (2005, Animated Film) – Voice Cast Listing at Voice Chasers". Voice Chasers. Archived from the original on 18 October 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  39. ^ "Rik Mayall does a Noble thing in Coventry". Coventrytelegraph.net.
  40. ^ "Rik Mayall World Cup single breaks into Top 10 of Official UK Singles Chart". NME. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  41. ^ "Dog Judo". Dog Judo. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  42. ^ "Rik Mayall – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  43. ^ "The Drum". The Drum. 13 May 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  44. ^ "Blackadder-like Rik Mayall ad lands Dave with a Ofcom rebuke". Such Small Portions. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  45. ^ "BBC Two commissions Hooligans' Island with Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson". BBC Media Centre. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
  46. ^ "The Last Hurrah". The Last Hurrah. Archived from the original on 20 June 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  47. ^ Laws, Roz (29 December 2002). "I ran away from her in the January sales to wed secret lover; Rik Mayall Tells How He Cheated on Deayton's Girl". Sunday Mercury. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  48. ^ "Comic defends euro Hitler spoof". 7 July 2002. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  49. ^ "No! Rik Mayall's political campaigns". BBC News. 11 June 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  50. ^ a b "Comedian Rik Mayall 'seriously ill'". BBC News. 11 April 1998. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  51. ^ "Rik Mayall – My Accident Could Have Been Worse – I Could Have Killed My Daughter". Bella Magazine. Rik Mayall Interviews And Articles Archive Blog. 19 October 1999. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  52. ^ a b c Barber, Lynn (17 December 2000). "Rik Mayall: Forever young". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  53. ^ Crace, John (10 June 2014). "Rik Mayall: Happy and Healthy Moments before Death". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  54. ^ "BREAKING NEWS: Rik Mayall dies aged 56". Herald Express. 9 June 2014. Archived from the original on 12 June 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  55. ^ "Rik Mayall cause of death: Comedian 'suffered a heart attack' wife confirms". The Independent. 12 June 2014.
  56. ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (10 June 2014). "Rik Mayall happy and healthy moments before death, says friend". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  57. ^ "Rik Mayall mourned at private funeral in Devon". BBC News.
  58. ^ "Rik Mayall's friends and family gather at Devon church for his funeral". Uknewsday.com. Archived from the original on 23 June 2014.
  59. ^ "Ade Edmondson: All about this famous Devon resident". 24 March 2022.
  60. ^ "The Heat Interview". 18 April 2012.
  61. London Evening Standard
    . 4 January 2005. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  62. ^ "Previous Honorary Graduates". University of Exeter. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  63. ^ University of Exeter (12 June 2014). "Rik Mayall receives an honorary Doctorate from the University of Exeter". YouTube.
  64. ^ "Making of the Comedy Carpet in Blackpool". YouTube. Blackpool Council. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  65. ^ "Now For The Top Stand Up Comedians. : I Love British Comedy Story & Experience". Experienceproject.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  66. ^ Heritage, Stuart (10 June 2014). "Rik Mayall's funniest TV moments – in clips". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  67. ^ Fishwick, Carmen (10 June 2014). "'Rik Mayall punched his friend in the balls here': actor gets fake blue plaque". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  68. ^ Hawkes, Rebecca (10 June 2014). "Rik Mayall remembered by irreverent blue plaque". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  69. ^ "Rik Mayall gets 'fake blue plaque' in west London – ITV News". Itv.com. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  70. ^ Eames, Tom (17 June 2014). "Rik Mayall fans petition for Bottom bench to return in Hammersmith". Digital Spy. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  71. ^ "Rik Mayall mural for birthplace". Bbc.co.uk. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  72. ^ "Evening Times – Google News Archive Search". News.google.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  73. ^ "Tom and Vicky (TV Series 1998) - IMDb". IMDb.
  74. ^ Tales of Uplift and Moral Improvement Retrieved September 24, 2020. IMDb (Internet Movie Database).
  75. ^ Kathryn Flett (2 October 2005). "TV: Love Soup | All About George | Elizabeth I | No Direction Home | Television & radio | The Observer". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 19 June 2014.

External links