Gourt > Regional > Europe > United Kingdom > Arts and Entertainment > Performing Arts > Comedy > Comedians > Mayall, Rik
Rik Mayall (born on March 7, 1958 in Harlow, Essex) is an English comedian and actor. He is well known for his comedy partnership with Adrian Edmondson and his over the top, energetic portrayal of characters. He was one of the pioneering members of the alternative comedy scene in the early 1980s.
When he was three, Mayall and his parents — both of whom taught drama — moved to Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, where he spent the rest of his childhood and performed in his parents' plays. He studied drama at the University of Manchester and gained fame by appearing at The Comedy Store with Edmondson, debuting there in 1980. They starred as "20th Century Coyote".
Mayall first broke into television with the character Kevin Turvey on the series A Kick Up the Eighties, which was first broadcast in 1981. A role as sociology student and Cliff Richard devotee Rick in The Young Ones sitcom in 1982 ensured wide public acclaim. The series was written by Mayall with long-standing friend Ben Elton and then-girlfriend Lise Mayer. Additional material was provided by comedian and actor Alexei Sayle. With many of his alternative contemporaries, Mayall went on to star in a number of the Comic Strip films. He starred on Saturday Live with Edmondson as "The Dangerous Brothers", a pair of naive but anarchic daredevils, and would perform comedy stunts on stage, often involving the likes of setting each other on fire. They effectively brought slapstick to the alternative comedy scene, albeit in a typically extreme fashion.
More on [ Rik Mayall ]
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Young Ones, The :: Comedy
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Ade Website - All about Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson, including pages on Bottom, and The Young Ones.
Bad News - Includes video footage from the Comic Strip Presents... Bad News.
Meta Description: [ BAD NEWS - English crazy humor by Adrian Edmondson & Rik Mayall.
Like Spinal Tap but MUCH BETTER - by @freguz ]
Rik Mayall - Contains a large archive of information about Rik Mayall's career.
Meta Description: [ The Rik Mayall Website contains the most comprehensive information on Rik Mayall on the web or elsewhere. ]
