Comdey* (for Comedy)

Many British comedy enthusiasts were saddened last week by the unexpected death of Rik Mayall at the age of 56.  Mayall, along with partner Adrian Edmondson, burst on the scene in the 1980s and achieved cult status with programs such as The Young Ones, The Comic Strip Presents, and Bottom.  Mayall also starred in television series such as The New Statesman and Blackadder and the movie Drop Dead Fred.

If you’ve never seen Mayall’s comedy, it’s as outrageous and irreverent as one could hope for, often with a strong dose of crudity.  Edmondson offered this fitting tribute to his long-time collaborator (as reported by BBC News):

There were times when Rik and I were writing together when we almost died laughing. They were some of the most carefree stupid days I ever had, and I feel privileged to have shared them with him.  And now he's died for real. Without me. Selfish bastard.

Mayall was mourned yesterday at a private funeral in Devon.

Comdey* is a moderate-probability typo.  A search of the OhioLINK catalog pulls up 16 entries, and there are 184 in WorldCat.

(Unofficial commemorative “blue plaque” honoring Mayall in Hammersmith, London, from Wikimedia Commons. It references the comedy series Bottom.)

Deb Kulczak