Sir Henry At Rawlinson End
Encyclopedia
Sir Henry at Rawlinson End is a largely spoken-word, solo comedy recording by Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
member Vivian Stanshall
. It had its origin in Vivian Stanshall's recordings for the John Peel
Show on BBC Radio One in the mid 1970s, and a track on the Bonzo
's 1972 album Let's Make Up and Be Friendly (United Artists
UAS29288/Sunset
SLS50418) by Neil Innes
and Vivian Stanshall (which was also previewed on Peel's show in 1971, with Innes & Stanshall appearing under the name Freaks).
's BBC Radio 1
show, while Peel enjoyed a holiday. Contributing to Peel programmes over a number of years, Stanshall played many new and old songs, and also piloted and previewed many different musical and spoken word comedy sketches and songs. Ultimately, several of these formed a vaguely cohesive whole around Sir Henry Rawlinson and his country seat, Rawlinson End, which were then compiled and edited by Stanshall for release.
Released as an LP
in 1978, Sir Henry at Rawlinson End by Vivian Stanstall was released on the Charisma Records
label (CAS 1139), and featured Stanshall talking and singing (as multiple characters) about the fictional history of Sir Henry Rawlinson. Puns, double-entendres, pop-cultural references and all manner of clever wordplay abound, as Stanshall initially takes the role of an un-named narrator, then drifts between character and narrator thereafter. The recording features many musical interludes, and all sorts of odd and esoterically-credited musical instruments. Guest performers include Steve Winwood
and two of Stanshall's children - his biological son Rupert Stanshall, and Sydney Longfellow (Stanshall's stepdaughter via his second wife Ki Longfellow-Stanshall
).
During the course of the recording, other characters both appear and are mentioned in passing. They include the staff of Rawlinson End: Mr. Cumberpatch (former gardener), Old Scrotum the Wrinkled Retainer (butler) and Mrs. E (housekeeper); various relatives Florrie's brother Lord Tarquin Portly of Staines and his wife the Lady Phillipa of Staines. Other characters include the landlord of the local pub (The Fool & Bladder) Seth One-Tooth, Reg Smeeton, a walking encyclopedia and "contract house clean[ers]" and "resting theatrical artistes" Teddy Tidy and Nigel Nice.
Tracks (songs)
starring Trevor Howard
as Sir Henry, and Vivian Stanshall as Hubert (and voiceover narration). To tie in with the film, Eel Pie Publishing
released the script/transcription as Sir Henry at Rawlinson End And Other Spots, a 112pg script book. (ISBN 0-906-00821-2)
In 1983, a semi-sequel entitled Sir Henry at N'didi’s Kraal
was released by Demon Verbals, with the catalogue number "VERB 1".
In 1994, Stanshall joined Mel Smith
and Dawn French (both playing Sir Henry in different adverts) in a series of television advertisements for real ale purveyor Ruddles Beer
.
In 1995, Virgin
released Sir Henry at Rawlinson End on CD and cassette under their "Virgin Chattering Classics" label. The sequel Sir Henry at N'didi’s Kraal
was released on CD by Edsel
in 1999.
In June 2010 Guilty Dog Productions, with the full support of the Stanshall family, resurrected the 1978 LP and re-imagined it as a one man show starring Mike Livesley as the narrator and all characters, backed by a 6 piece band replicating the instrumentation of the original. The show won rave reviews,
Liverpool Echo Review, Daily Post Review and Liverpool 7 Streets Review. The show received it's London Premiere on October 14th 2011. The Premiere was a huge success and the show drew praise from Neil Innes
and Adrian Edmondson
who were in the audience. The show also received another rave review, this time from MOJO Magazine's Andrew Male. After this success a London run is now in the preparation stages.
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band are a band created by a group of British art-school denizens of the 1960s...
member Vivian Stanshall
Vivian Stanshall
Vivian Stanshall was an English singer-songwriter, painter, musician, author, poet and wit, best known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, for his surreal exploration of the British upper classes in Sir Henry at Rawlinson End, and for narrating Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells.-The great...
. It had its origin in Vivian Stanshall's recordings for the John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
Show on BBC Radio One in the mid 1970s, and a track on the Bonzo
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band are a band created by a group of British art-school denizens of the 1960s...
's 1972 album Let's Make Up and Be Friendly (United Artists
United Artists Records
United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein of United Artists in 1957 initially to distribute records of its movie soundtracks, though it soon branched out into recording music of a number of different genres.-History:...
UAS29288/Sunset
Sunset Records
Sunset Records was a record label started in 1966 as the budget album subsidiary of Liberty Records to reissue the Liberty, Imperial, and Minit material.The label stopped operating around 1974....
SLS50418) by Neil Innes
Neil Innes
Neil James Innes is an English writer and performer of comic songs, best known for his collaborative work with Monty Python, and for playing in the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and later The Rutles.-Personal life:...
and Vivian Stanshall (which was also previewed on Peel's show in 1971, with Innes & Stanshall appearing under the name Freaks).
Description
In 1970, Stanshall took over John PeelJohn Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
's BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show, while Peel enjoyed a holiday. Contributing to Peel programmes over a number of years, Stanshall played many new and old songs, and also piloted and previewed many different musical and spoken word comedy sketches and songs. Ultimately, several of these formed a vaguely cohesive whole around Sir Henry Rawlinson and his country seat, Rawlinson End, which were then compiled and edited by Stanshall for release.
Released as an LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
in 1978, Sir Henry at Rawlinson End by Vivian Stanstall was released on the Charisma Records
Charisma Records
Charisma was a record label founded by former journalist Tony Stratton-Smith in 1969. Manager for The Nice, the Bonzo Dog Band and Van der Graaf Generator at the time, Stratton-Smith was unable to find a record company willing to release an album by one of his favourite groups so he founded his own...
label (CAS 1139), and featured Stanshall talking and singing (as multiple characters) about the fictional history of Sir Henry Rawlinson. Puns, double-entendres, pop-cultural references and all manner of clever wordplay abound, as Stanshall initially takes the role of an un-named narrator, then drifts between character and narrator thereafter. The recording features many musical interludes, and all sorts of odd and esoterically-credited musical instruments. Guest performers include Steve Winwood
Steve Winwood
Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
and two of Stanshall's children - his biological son Rupert Stanshall, and Sydney Longfellow (Stanshall's stepdaughter via his second wife Ki Longfellow-Stanshall
Ki Longfellow
Ki Longfellow is an American novelist, playwright, theatrical producer, theater director and entrepreneur. In Britain, as the widow of Vivian Stanshall, she is well known as the guardian of his artistic heritage, but elsewhere she is best known for her own work, especially the novel The Secret...
).
Characters
The tracks are named after their prominent musical piece, and most feature at least one vocal number, intermingled with spoken word performances by Stanshall as both narrator and the many and various Rawlinson-related characters. These characters including: Sir Henry Rawlinson himself, his wife Lady Florrie Rawlinson (née Maynard), Ralph (`Raif') Rawlinson and Candice Rawlinson (their children) and Henry's brothers Hubert (the younger brother) & Humbert (dead older brother, deceased, and now a ghost).During the course of the recording, other characters both appear and are mentioned in passing. They include the staff of Rawlinson End: Mr. Cumberpatch (former gardener), Old Scrotum the Wrinkled Retainer (butler) and Mrs. E (housekeeper); various relatives Florrie's brother Lord Tarquin Portly of Staines and his wife the Lady Phillipa of Staines. Other characters include the landlord of the local pub (The Fool & Bladder) Seth One-Tooth, Reg Smeeton, a walking encyclopedia and "contract house clean[ers]" and "resting theatrical artistes" Teddy Tidy and Nigel Nice.
Reception
Allmusic's retrospective review was laudatory, commenting, "Stanshall is superbly entertaining, a wordsmith who can trip from the sublime to the louche in the wink of an eye, from wicked puns to appalling jokes in a tale (of sorts) set in a country estate, and told in more accents than you can shake a stick at." They argued that though the concept of the album is complete nonsense, this doesn't take away at all from its entertainment value.Tracklist
The fifteen tracks are essentially one long performance piece, but are divided as follows:Tracks (songs)
- Aunt Florrie's Waltz - Theme: "Rawlinson End theme"; Aunt Florrie's Waltz
- Interlewd - Theme: Interlewd
- Wheelbarrow - Wheelbarrow
- Socks - Socks
- The Rub - 'The Rub
- Nice 'N' Tidy - Nice 'n' Tidy
- Pigs 'Ere Purse - Theme: Intermission for clarinet and lips - Pigs 'ere Purse
- 6/8 Hoodoo - Theme: 6/8 Hoodoo
- Smeeton - Smeeton
- Fool & Bladder - The Fool & Bladder
- Endroar - Endroar
- The Beasht Inshide - The Beasht Inshide
- Junglebunny - Theme: Junglebunny; Theme: Soft "Rawlinson End theme"
- Rawlinsons & Maynards - Rawlinsons & Maynards
- Papadumb - Theme: Papadumb; Theme: "Rawlinson End theme"; "Rawlinson End theme" variations
Personnel
- Vivian StanshallVivian StanshallVivian Stanshall was an English singer-songwriter, painter, musician, author, poet and wit, best known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, for his surreal exploration of the British upper classes in Sir Henry at Rawlinson End, and for narrating Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells.-The great...
- vocals & narration, talking drum, bean, thumb pianoThumb pianoThe thumb piano is an African musical instrument, a type of plucked idiophone common throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.-Description:Each note of a kalimba, mbira, etc. is a separate idiophone, and in orchestral terms, the instrument as a whole belongs in the bar percussion family...
, clay drumClay drumA clay drum is a variety of percussion instrument found in various parts of the world. It may refer to:-Membranophones:*Goblet drum, from the Middle East*Khol, from India*Kus, from Iran*Madal, from Nepal*Mrdanga, from India...
, baconium, wooden cornet, banjoleleBanjoleleThe banjolele is a four-stringed musical instrument with a small banjo-type body and a fretted ukulele neck. "Banjolele," sometimes also spelled "banjelele" or "banjulele" is a generic nickname given to the instrument, which was derived from the "banjulele-banjo", introduced by Alvin D...
, percussion, jabbamok, cacaphone, balalaikaBalalaikaThe balalaika is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass...
, phonofiddlePhonofiddleA phonofiddle is a class of stringed musical instruments that are played with a bow and use a phonograph type reproducer as a voice-box.The sound producing diaphragm may be a metal cone as in the Stroh violin or a mica sheet as in the instruments made by A. T. Howson, London and the Stroviols...
, binaBinaBina may refer to:* Binə, Baku, Azerbaijan* Binə, Khojavend, Azerbaijan* Bíňa, Slovakia* Bina Etawa, India* Bina Railway Colony, India...
, Th'at, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, sarrusophoneSarrusophoneThe sarrusophone is a family of transposing musical instruments patented and placed into production by Pierre-Louis Gautrot in 1856. It was named after the French bandmaster Pierre-Auguste Sarrus who is credited with the concept of the instrument...
, recorders, euphoniumEuphoniumThe euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
, bass harmonica, jaw harp, cornets, tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, ukuleleUkuleleThe ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
, threeps, truncheonTruncheonTruncheon may refer to:*Baton *Cutting , means of plant propagation used by gardeners*HMS Truncheon , a British submarine commissioned during Word War II and later sold to Israel...
, tubaTubaThe tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, melodicaMelodicaThe melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
, flageoletFlageoletThe flageolet is a woodwind musical instrument and a member of the fipple flute family. Its invention is ascribed to the 16th century Sieur Juvigny in 1581. There are two basic forms of the instrument: the French, having four finger holes on the front and two thumb holes on the back; and the...
s, dum-dumDum-dumAn expanding bullet is a bullet designed to expand on impact, increasing in diameter to limit penetration and/or produce a larger diameter wound. They are informally known as a Dum-dum or dumdum bullets...
, kazooKazooThe kazoo is a wind instrument which adds a "buzzing" timbral quality to a player's voice when the player vocalizes into it. The kazoo is a type of mirliton, which is a membranophone, a device which modifies the sound of a person's voice by way of a vibrating membrane."Kazoo" was the name given by...
and mouth trumpetMouth trumpetMouth trumpet is a vocal technique that imitates the sound of the trumpet.The mouth trumpet sound is produced by using the vocal cords to produce the desired pitch and passing the sound through the lips that are held together with just enough tension so that they vibrate at the same frequency as... - Pete Moss - musical direction, accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
and violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello.... - Steve WinwoodSteve WinwoodStephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood is an English international recording artist whose career spans nearly 50 years. He is a songwriter and a musician whose genres include soul music , R&B, rock, blues-rock, pop-rock, and jazz...
- mini-moog, banjolinBanjolinThe three instruments described below are named "banjolin". It should not be mistaken for the mandolin-banjo, nor is it to be confused with the Banjoline.The Banjolin is a name applied to several different types of stringed instruments:...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, pipe-organ, balalaikaBalalaikaThe balalaika is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, celesteCelestaThe celesta or celeste is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. Its appearance is similar to that of an upright piano or of a large wooden music box . The keys are connected to hammers which strike a graduated set of metal plates suspended over wooden resonators...
, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist.... - Jim Cuomo - flageoletFlageoletThe flageolet is a woodwind musical instrument and a member of the fipple flute family. Its invention is ascribed to the 16th century Sieur Juvigny in 1581. There are two basic forms of the instrument: the French, having four finger holes on the front and two thumb holes on the back; and the...
, recorderRecorderThe recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
, bassBass saxophoneThe bass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family. Its design is similar to that of the baritone saxophone, with a loop of tubing near the mouthpiece. It was the first type of saxophone presented to the public, when Adolphe Sax exhibited a bass saxophone in C at an exhibition...
& soprano saxophoneSoprano saxophoneThe soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument, invented in 1840. The soprano is the third smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and tubax.A transposing instrument pitched in...
s and clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed... - Julian Smedley - violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music... - The Exishanshalliste Songsters (Rupert Stanshall and Sydney Longfellow) - backing vocals on "Wheelbarrow"
- Jim French ("Terrier-man to the Cotswold Hunt") - holler & hunting-horn on "6/8 Hoodoo theme"
Other media
The story as described on the lp (as well as most of the script) was used as the basis for the 1980 film version Sir Henry at Rawlinson EndSir Henry at Rawlinson End (film)
Sir Henry at Rawlinson End is a 1980 British film based on the eponymous character created by Vivian Stanshall. It starred Trevor Howard as Sir Henry and Stanshall himself as Henry's brother Hubert. Unusually, the film was released in sepia-toned monochrome. After a long wait, while the film...
starring Trevor Howard
Trevor Howard
Trevor Howard , born Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith, was an English film, stage and television actor.-Early life:...
as Sir Henry, and Vivian Stanshall as Hubert (and voiceover narration). To tie in with the film, Eel Pie Publishing
Eel Pie Publishing
Eel Pie Publishing is a publishing house founded by musician and author Pete Townshend in 1977, and named after Eel Pie Island. It is part of the Eelpie Group of Companies including Eel Pie Recording Production Ltd., which was set up in 1970 by Pete Townshend....
released the script/transcription as Sir Henry at Rawlinson End And Other Spots, a 112pg script book. (ISBN 0-906-00821-2)
In 1983, a semi-sequel entitled Sir Henry at N'didi’s Kraal
Sir Henry at N'didi’s Kraal
Sir Henry at N'didi’s Kraal is the fourth and final solo album by Vivian Stanshall. It is a return to the largely spoken-word, solo comedy format of Stanshall's second album Sir Henry at Rawlinson End and is a sequel to the same work.-Background:...
was released by Demon Verbals, with the catalogue number "VERB 1".
In 1994, Stanshall joined Mel Smith
Mel Smith
Melvin Kenneth "Mel" Smith is an English comedian, writer, film director, producer, and actor. He is most famous for his work on the sketch comedy shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones along with his comedy partner Griff Rhys Jones.- Early life :Smith's father, Kenneth, was born...
and Dawn French (both playing Sir Henry in different adverts) in a series of television advertisements for real ale purveyor Ruddles Beer
Ruddles Brewery
Ruddles Brewery is a former English brewery. The brand is now owned by Greene King who still brews beers under the Ruddles name in Suffolk though the current recipes are not those used at the original brewery....
.
In 1995, Virgin
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
released Sir Henry at Rawlinson End on CD and cassette under their "Virgin Chattering Classics" label. The sequel Sir Henry at N'didi’s Kraal
Sir Henry at N'didi’s Kraal
Sir Henry at N'didi’s Kraal is the fourth and final solo album by Vivian Stanshall. It is a return to the largely spoken-word, solo comedy format of Stanshall's second album Sir Henry at Rawlinson End and is a sequel to the same work.-Background:...
was released on CD by Edsel
Edsel
The Edsel was an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company during the 1958, 1959, and 1960 model years. The Edsel never gained popularity with contemporary American car buyers and sold poorly. Consequently, the Ford Motor Company lost millions of dollars on the Edsel's development,...
in 1999.
In June 2010 Guilty Dog Productions, with the full support of the Stanshall family, resurrected the 1978 LP and re-imagined it as a one man show starring Mike Livesley as the narrator and all characters, backed by a 6 piece band replicating the instrumentation of the original. The show won rave reviews,
Liverpool Echo Review, Daily Post Review and Liverpool 7 Streets Review. The show received it's London Premiere on October 14th 2011. The Premiere was a huge success and the show drew praise from Neil Innes
Neil Innes
Neil James Innes is an English writer and performer of comic songs, best known for his collaborative work with Monty Python, and for playing in the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and later The Rutles.-Personal life:...
and Adrian Edmondson
Adrian Edmondson
Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson is an English comedian. He is probably best known for his comedic roles in the television series The Young Ones and Bottom , for which he also wrote together with his long-time collaboration partner Rik Mayall.-Early life:Edmondson, the second of four children, was...
who were in the audience. The show also received another rave review, this time from MOJO Magazine's Andrew Male. After this success a London run is now in the preparation stages.