Edmondson and Mayall finally reached the essence of their insane partnership with Bottom, a television showcase for the unique brand of hyper-violent, bug-eyed slapstick that theyd first put together with their Dangerous Brothers act. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLvS_w9gy8g The pair had by now distilled the chemistry of their partnership to a refined perfection: an odd way to describe a show as obnoxious as Bottom, but accurate. This synergy would allow them to take Bottom on tour, working live with even more profane, crude storylines and a largely ad-libbed script, and the riot of violence often saw one or both of them being hospitalised. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjQD9zpAcGk Richie was no relation to Rick of The Young Ones or to Richie of Filthy Rich & Catflap, but you can see patterns emerging. All three men are delusional and rather dim grotesques, like characters from a Roald Dahl children's story. Mayall encouraged the audience to laugh at him, not with him. For a man who made his name calling attention to himself: never knowingly underacting, shrieking, leaping around and flattening himself and others with makeshift weapons; he delivered performances with a striking lack of ego.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
