The Rik Mayall Archive

curated by Chris Shields
The True Story behind the 'Unofficial' Rik Mayall biography ‘Early Rik: Thoughts of a Clown’ 
In early 2020 I wrote a biography on Rik Mayall. It was a real labour of love (as everyone who has read it has told me), to a real comedy hero of mine, written with love using my knowledge of his early career, using memorabilia that I’d kept for 35 years.
I’d already written 3 non-fiction books. One was a history of the Beulah Spa – a Georgian pleasure ground and mineral spa in Southeast London, a History of Christianity – from the modern historical perspective of a non-church goer and Putting My Past Behind Me – a family history book. Having been a librarian in Croydon for 35 years, (as well as a semi-pro singer/songwriter), I had always loved history books and biographies- especially of famous comedians- my favourites being Tony Hancock, Tommy Cooper and Stan Laurel.
In 2019 I was talking to friends about what a shame it was that there was not a Rik Mayall biography available and they all said to me in unison “Why don’t you write one?”. It got me thinking, so I picked up my old scrapbook and started to write.
I was an amateur writer, self-publishing on a print on demand online platform, so it was all done for my own pleasure and not really in view of it being a serious tome. I put together all quotes from Rik before 1986 and it ended up scanning very well when read -sounding like Rik was actually speaking – so more an autobiography!
In my naivety I had included pictures without permissions, the main one being some photos from the telly originally taken by Young Ones writer Lise Mayer. 
At the time I had contacted Lucy Brocklesbury of the Rik Mayall Scrapbook website and chatted online to her, the only other person I’d ever heard of that has a Rik Mayall scrapbook. She told ‘I photography comedians’ photographer Andy Hollingworth about the book and he rang me up to congratulating me.
While chatting, Andy asked who I’d interviewed and who took what pic etc, to which I admitted that I hadn’t even considered interviewing ‘real’ and ‘famous’ people as I didn’t know that’s how you did it. He said he’d forward the book on the Lise Mayer as he’d recently photographed her. 
This was where Lise contacted me as she was understandably upset that I’d put her pics in without asking permission. I replied apologising profusely saying I’d made a big mistake and that I’d alter the book – I think now she has forgiven me.
But this is where my book writing approach changed. I had to delete the first book, for obvious reasons, and try and do a better and more professional job.
So this time around I bought a permission for a Kevin Turvey cover pic from the BBC and contacted various photographers from the early 80s. Everyone was happy to help - Virginia Turbett, Kevin Cummings, Nobby Clark, Sheila Rock, Alexei and Linda Sayle, Marta Richardson, Jill Furmanovsky, Anton Corbijn, Lou Boileau, Barry Pitman, Roger Shelly from Manchester Uni, John Haynes of NT fame, Peter Anderson and many more.
Andy Hollingworth was a big support, and we shared information and he allowed me use of some of his pics. Then I heard from Mark Young who allowed me use of many of his original pics – one used for the front cover image.
Two original artists allowed me to use their work - @danwilliamsart and bellydraft@instagram.
I then interviewed various important people by email – Colin Gilbert – co writer and director of Kevin Turvey; Rowland Rivron about Kevin Turvey and the Young Ones featuring the Bastard Squad live tour; Ruby Wax about Dickie Gurgerstein; Richard Turner – co-writer of Vanessa and Theatre; Paul Bradley about Man=Man, Tony De Meur about Buddy Holly in the Young Ones; Peter Brewis about Dickie in 81 Take 2; Mark Dewison (the hippy in the Young Ones fridge) about 20th Century Coyote; Caroline Cooke about starring in early Lloyd Peters films at Manchester Uni; and Lloyd Peters (founder of 20th Century Coyote) himself, who kindly wrote the book’s forward.
I spent lots of time and money with interviews and photo permissions. It does make me wonder about how people get away with selling Rik images on items on Etsy and ebay - without the photographer’s permission, especially after I spent so much.
So, with my new ‘tweaked’ book, I finally wanted a couple of good quotes for the blurb on the back of the book. My top 2 people of choice were 2 of Rik’s own heroes – John Cleese and Michael Palin. Both, via their Pa’s, replied to me immediately with their original quotes that I had their personal permission to use - specifically for my book.
“I loved his manic energy. No-one, except Cleese, ever made me laugh as much as Rik at full tilt. Because he was a very good actor, he was able to vary his performances from quiet and subdued one minute to screaming mayhem the next. With everything else in between. It was like comedy jazz”. - Michael Palin

“The Young Ones was one of the very, very few shows that have made me laugh till I was ill, and Rik was its dominant force. He was the outstanding comedian of his generation. His startling bursts of energy twisted the audience in new directions, so that we never knew where he was going. I loved him". - John Cleese
Now the book was absolutely perfect – you couldn’t ever wish for a better book on Rik Mayall, now published and sold by Amazon.
When the first Rik Mayall festival in Droitwich was in embryo, Andy Hollingworth phoned me up asking for my ideas and if I’d be the ‘Rik Mayall Expert’ at the festival. All was looking rosy.
But in 2020, another author had published a Rik book - coming from a different angle than my one. When the Rik Mayall Festival was first announced, it was him on BBC Breakfast TV talking about it. This must have caused upset with various people as suddenly I was not allowed to attend the Droitwich festival – “No biographers are allowed” said Councillor Richard Morris. I feared that I had been punished for the other authors Breakfast TV faux par.
I was so upset by this that I had emails with author Max Kinnings where I said to him that I was “fed up with Rik Mayall” and that I was “taking all my memorabilia/autographs to the dump to throw away”. Max’s kind words saved me from doing this, as did the support from Andy Hollingworth.
I cancelled my hotel in Droitwich in 2025 and wasn’t allowed to attend.
These days I’m in regular contact with official biographer Max Kinnings – who’s using my book as a source for his ‘authorised’ biography. I’m also in regular contact with Bohemia Films who are using my book as a source for a new Sky film on Rik for 2026.
I contacted the Droitwich Festival again for this year’s 2026 festival, offering to display my very rare Rik Mayall collection – but once again got a reply from the organisers – “sorry no biographers”…
 

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