WITH the Rik Mayall Comedy Festival getting under way today, here are some activities and shows to look forward to during the first weekend.
The launch party takes place tomorrow (Saturday, May 30) form 11am to 9pm on the High Street and in the St Andrews Square Shopping Centre.
In the High Street, there will be live entertainment from Dave James with the official opening by the Chairman of Wychavon District Council and Mayor of Droitwich at 11am. There will also be a performance from Mitch Benn.
At 11.15am, Droitwich Spa Community Choir will take centre stage and at 12pm it will be the turn of Droitwich Ukulele Club. At 12.30pm, the Salties will perform and at 1pm there will be children’s entertainment from the comedy UBB Showcase. Further children’s entertainment will be at 1.45pm from CircusMash and the Coppice Shanty Crew will strut their stuff at 2.30pm.
At 3pm there will be a performance by Benny Jay and at 4pm the BBC Hereford and Worcester – Upload. At 5pm will be Molly Tustin and there will be live music from 6pm.
At 7pm, there will be the Kane and Abel Magicians – a family friendly show.
As well as that, there will be craft stalls, food and drink vendors, games and walkabout performers.
And in St Andrews Square there will be the Festival Joke Spot Live where young performers can tell their favourite jokes. That will open from 11.15am to 12.30pm and between 2.45pm and 4pm.
WHAT’S ON – Friday, May 29
There are a whopping 33 shows or activities on today at the Rik Mayall Comedy Festival.
Among them are A Star Wars Improv Show: The One-Man Made-Up Movie, local comedian Carl Paskin and Rob Rouse’s Dirty Scrabble with Phil Ellis and friends.
Click here for a full Friday line-up.
WHAT’S ON – Saturday, May 30
Tomorrow, as well as the launch party and all the events and activities that brings, there are plenty of other activities outside the High Street and St Andrews Square. There are 76 events or activities happening in total on the busiest day of the festival.
These include Working with Rik and other ‘Grim Tales’ – a Q&A with Bob Baldwin, Diane Spencer Coming Together, Jake Donaldson: The Fifth Weezer, Red Richardson: WIP and more.
Click here for a full Saturday line-up.
WHAT’S ON – Sunday, May 31
There are more than 50 events and activities on Sunday, including Ryan Mold: Resistant, Snow White Children’s Theatre and Murder Mayhem and Mayall – an Improvised murder – see below for more on that.
Click here for a full Sunday line-up.
Murder, Mayhem and Mayall: Foghorn Unscripted Bring An Improvised Murder to Droitwich
Award-winning comedy company Foghorn Unscripted are preparing their alibis, hiding the evidence and trying not to look suspicious as they bring their hit comedy whodunit to the St Andrew’s Hotel at 2pm on Sunday, May 31.
The improvised murder production Foghorn Unscripted won Best Show at Birmingham Fest 2024 and promise lies, laughs, ludicrous suspects and a murder mystery where absolutely nobody – least of all the cast – knows what will happen next.
Was it the jealous colleague with a novelty cheese grater? The bitter rival with a poisoned breadstick? The suspicious hotel guest armed only with a laminated breakfast menu? Or was it a freak accident involving a trouser press, a rubber duck and a dangerously competitive game of Connect 4?
Only the audience can help decide.
Every show is created live on the spot, with suggestions from the audience shaping the characters, clues, motives and murderous twists. No scripts. No safety net. No guarantee the detective has understood the case.
Foghorn’s Artistic Director, Kit Murdock, said the team were looking forward to bringing the show to the Rik Mayall Comedy Festival.
“Audiences should prepare themselves for suspicious characters, dreadful excuses and a body count we haven’t technically agreed on yet.”
No audience members will be harmed in the making of this show.
