Real crap news and sad to hear that comic genius Rik Mayall had died suddenly yesterday, I fondly remember his celebrated characters in sitcoms like the Young Ones, Blackadder , the New Statesman, the Comic strips on Channel 4 , lest forget his alter ego Kevin Turvey, and off course the inevitable Bottom. An early inspirations to my own anarchic impulses, even though his portrayal in the Young Ones was off a pompous, cowardice, halfwit... I still remember fondly it's sheer brilliance.
His eyes bulging, silly and chaotic, and always a little rude, stupid with outbreaks of sheer violence, guess that's why we loved him, his command of physical comedy was simply amazing, a true shining light.
He along with his comic writing partner, Adrian Edmondson, along with others like Alexai Sayle, Dawn French and Jenniffer Saunders, amongst others injected an energy into the British comedy scene of 1980's, which was to be known as 'alternative comedy'.
He seemed to have disappeared for awhile after a vehicle accident left him in a coma back in 1998, but he survived, however he was left with in epilepsy.
However he returned to the stage, and starred in a few films..... but the peoples poet Rik of the Young Ones is now dead and I will miss his work, I will still hate fascists and will still snort on about the evil of Thatcher and her cohorts.
He has left us far to early, but left us with this contribution to a black comedy aired last August on Channel 4, called 'don't fear death' screened as part of Channel 4's Random Acts series... it adds that 'death is your passport to complete and utter freedom. No pulse, no responsibility. Carpe mortem - seize death'.
I end with some personal favourites from Rick's career. R.I.P
Don't Fear Death
Rick Mayall as Kevin Turvey
Rick Mayall - Poetry
Alan Bastard on Healthcare
Alan Bastard Conference Speech
15 Top Moments of Rick Mayall as Rik in the Young Ones
The Young Ones - The Peoples poet
No comments:
Post a Comment