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.
