Adrian trained in studio drama at Manchester University, where he met Rik Mayall and formed the partnership that was to become Twentieth Century Coyote. In 1977 he took a one-man show to the National Student Drama Festival, and Twentieth Century Coyote appeared at the Edinburgh Festival to great critical acclaim and media interest; the show was recorded for Radio
4.
After Edinburgh came a
period of touring with various two-man shows throughout Britain, until
Adrian joined the number of talented artists then appearing at London’s Comedy Store. Throughout 1979 and 1980
Adrian made numerous appearances on the growing comedy circuit before going on to co-found the Comic Strip at the Boulevard Theatre in late 1980. He appeared in 29 episodes of The Comic Strip Presents... second only to creator
Peter Richardson, playing different roles including Dick in the Five Go Mad… episodes and Vim Fuego, lead singer of Bad News – the subject of two send-up documentaries setting the scene for Spinal Tap!
Edmondson turned his hand to writing, penning six of the episodes, including the Bad News documentaries – the second of which he directed. He also directed Private Enterprise.
He went on to create the iconic character of Vyvyan Basterd in The Young Ones and teamed up once again with Rik Mayall to create the hugely successful
BBC comedy
Bottom. This partnership continued with the feature film Guest House Paradiso in 1999 and a series of
Bottom live tours. Married to his Comic Strip co-star
Jennifer Saunders,
Adrian continued his long-term support of Comic Relief by appearing in 2005’s Comic Relief does Fame Academy.
