Rik Mayall festival boosts economy - councillor

The town that hosted the first Rik Mayall Comedy Festival has seen an economic boost with "best-ever" takings for businesses, a councillor has said.

Thirty venues hosted 200 events in Droitwich, where the Young Ones star grew up – one of the most familiar faces on television in the 1980s and 1990s - but organisers said even the businesses that weren't hosting events have seen a record week.

Richard Morris, leader of Wychavon District Council, said the festival, which centred on Norbury Theatre where the performer first trod the boards, exceeded all expectations.

"It's been such a magnificent week," Morris said. "There's been such a buzz, such a great atmosphere, keeping Rik's memory alive.

"It's 11 years ago to the day since he passed and as Greg Davies said, not enough was made of such an icon of comedy and we wanted to do that in Droitwich."

Davies, one of the comedians who took part, had said Mayall "defined decades of comedy" and had not been celebrated enough.

He told the BBC: "I think that him and his peers changed comedy totally. It moved it into an entirely different gear, a different arena, and I remember loving the fact that my parents didn't get it."

Morris said he hoped the festival would become an annual event, adding: "Certainly, that's where we will be focusing on what have we learnt."

Morris said there had been a big impact not only on Mayall's legacy, but also on the town.

Figures have not yet been compiled but the effect had been seen anecdotally, he said, adding: "Antique shops told me they had four times the takings they normally would, their best-ever takings.

"One of the pubs has said it's been their best-ever takings since they've been in operation.

"It's anecdotal and we've got to verify that, but if that's the feeling they've got, it's got to have had a really good effect."

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