The Young Ones stars lead Rik Mayall festival bill

A comedy festival remembering the late Rik Mayall will see fellow stars of The Young Ones Alexei Sayle and Nigel Planer leading the bill in Worcestershire.

Live at the Apollo's Harriet Kemsley is also due to headline the second annual festival in Mayall's hometown of Droitwich Spa, which takes place between 29 May and 6 June.

Planer would bring his Young Once book tour to The Norbury Theatre, while Sayle was due at an In Conversation event discussing Mayall and "the 80s comedy revolution", organisers said.

In 2025, more than 75% of headline shows at the theatre sold out at the festival, which celebrated the legacy of the comedian who died in 2014 aged 56.

The theme of The Young Ones will be continued with an exhibition by photographer Andy Hollingworth.

The festival is to include Work In Progress shows from Kemsley, as well as Tiff Stevenson, from Mock the Week and People Just Do Nothing, with her show Post Coital, and Laura Smyth of Live at the Apollo and The Jonathan Ross Show.

Last year, 200 festival events were held at venues across the area.

In 2026, hundreds of fringe events and additional headliners are to be announced.

During weekends, the High Street will feature an outdoor stage.

Mayall found his feet at The Norbury Theatre and to honour this, the festival had committed to providing "that same platform for the next generation", organisers said.

Plans include a "Showcase for local drama groups and individual performers" at the Droitwich Spa Community Hall, comedy workshops for those aged 12 to 17 and support to help student performers.

Festival director Stuart Panrucker said he thought Mayall and his contemporaries "changed the face of British comedy", adding: "I think we are still seeing it now in alternative comedy.

"I think there's so many acts coming to perform at the festival in the fringe, they are taking his spirit of anarchy and just fresh modern approaches on comedy, just testing the boundaries of comedy.

"I think that [is] really important to keep it moving as an art form."

The director stated it was "a real privilege for the festival to be able to represent that and have the backing of some of Rik's friends coming to the festival".

General tickets go on sale on 7 March.

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