A POP-UP museum dedicated to actor and comedian Rik Mayall has been announced as part of an upcoming comedy festival in his name.
The Rik Mayall Comedy Festival is set to be held from May 31 until June 8, 2025 and now a free pop-up museum is being developed for the event which will be held at the Norbury Theatre in Droitwich Spa.
Photographer Andy Hollingworth, renowned for his portraits of comedians, is curating the exhibit.
One of the Rik Mayall Comedy Festival's directors Stuart Panrucker said: "Andy actually approached us with the idea.
"He has the world's biggest archive of comedian portraits - he's an obsessive collector of comedic memorabilia.
"The exhibit will focus on Rik's career and feature all sorts of memorabilia.
"So there will be lots of pieces from Andy's collection and John Lloyd, who produced Blackadder, is donating a script from Rik's appearance as Lord Flashheart in the show."
After the festival, part of the exhibition will be retained at the Droitwich Spa Heritage Centre once its refurbishment is complete.
Andy Hollingworth said: "I’ve always been a huge fan of Rik Mayall and was lucky enough to photograph him, so curating the pop-up museum for the festival is an absolute privilege.
"I’ve built up a collection of tickets, posters, scripts, and memorabilia that I’ve gathered over the years, and we’re hoping to create something really special.
"I’ve been working with other photographers, friends, and fans who share the same admiration for Rik to build a collection that celebrates his incredible career.
"The fact that it will be in Rik’s hometown is just brilliant, and I can’t wait for everyone to see it."
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The comedy festival is set to expand too and feature performances in venues across Droitwich Spa.
Mr Panrucker said: "There will be a mix of legendary and contemporary performers at the festival, and we have at least 25 more venues signing up around Droitwich to host acts.
"They will be across the arts, so a mixture of comedy, music and theatre."
Rik Mayall Comedy Festival is set to make its first line-up announcement in November.
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