Bottom Live
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''Bottom Live – The Stage Show'' is a live stage show based on the UK TV series '' Bottom''. It ran in 1993 and was recorded for VHS (and later DVD) release at the
Mayflower Theatre Mayflower Theatre (formerly the Gaumont Theatre and originally the Empire Theatre) is a Grade II listed theatre in the city centre of Southampton, England, with a capacity of 2,300. It features West End theatre shows when they tour the United Ki ...
in
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
. It was written by its stars,
Rik Mayall Richard Michael Mayall (; 7 March 1958 – 9 June 2014) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He formed a close partnership with Adrian Edmondson while they were students at Manchester University, and was a pioneer of alternative come ...
as Richie Richard and
Adrian Edmondson Adrian Charles Edmondson (born 24 January 1957) is an English actor, comedian, musician, writer and television presenter. Part of the alternative comedy boom in the early 1980s, he and his comedy partner Rik Mayall starred in the television sitc ...
as Eddie Hitler.


Plot

Following a weekend lock-in in the lavatories of their local pub, Richie and Eddie return to their flat. After they unsuccessfully attempt to prepare breakfast the mail arrives, containing a letter and parcel for Richie. The letter is from the solicitors, which Eddie is left to dispose of, and the parcel contains a
blow-up doll A sex doll (also, joy toy, love doll, fuck doll or blowup doll) is an anthropomorphic sex toy in the size and shape of a sexual partner. The sex doll may consist of an entire body, or just a head, pelvis, or other body part (vagina, anus, mouth, ...
Richie ordered without his flatmate's knowledge. He bribes Eddie to leave the flat so he can be alone with his new friend Monica, unaware that Eddie has opened the solicitors' letter and discovered that following his uncle's death, Richie is now owed £15,000, which he wishes to claim for himself. The second act opens with Richie having trouble with Monica; ultimately he accidentally attaches himself to the doll with superglue from the hand cream jar. Eddie returns intending to kill him to claim the £15,000. He helps remove the doll, then tries to poison Richie, albeit unsuccessfully. When Richie himself reads the solicitors' letter, he discovers that the £15,000 is actually a debt Richie owes, as his uncle never paid it during his lifetime. He resigns himself to suicide, but not before Eddie has tricked him into signing a marriage certificate (assuming it was an adoption certificate and that such a bond will entitle him to the money). The play ends with Eddie realising his mistake, and the pair apparently electrocute themselves to avoid paying the debt that they both now owe.


Trivia

* An eight-minute section of the second act revolves around Ade teasing Rik for
corpsing In theatre (especially in the illusionistic Western tradition) and film, breaking character occurs when an actor fails to maintain the illusion that they are the character they are supposedly portraying. This is considered unprofessional while ...
during his lines and Rik's annoyance at Ade for receiving a large round of applause from the audience when he delivers his own lines in an overly-dramatic fashion. The line Ade recites is similar to one in television episode "
Contest CONTEST is the United Kingdom's counter-terrorism strategy, first developed by Sir David Omand and the Home Office in early 2003 as the immediate response to 9/11, and a revised version was made public in 2006. Further revisions were publish ...
", when he talks about the futility of their conversation: ''"slime in this ear, slime in that ear''". (Ade also remarks after his over-dramatic delivery, "''
Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his distinctive deep, wikt:languid#Etymology 1, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and b ...
, eat your heart out!''") During this sequence, Eddie claims he was born in Southampton (Ade was actually born in
West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...
). Rik tries to get the audience to stop laughing by telling them to pretend that they're watching
Ben Elton Benjamin Charles Elton is a British comedian, actor, author, playwright, lyricist and director. One of the major figures in the alternative comedy movement of the 1980s, his early stand-up style was Left-wing politics, left-wing political satire ...
. Near the end of this section, Rik manages to compose himself to deliver his line, to which Ade responds: "''Fucking hell... A line from the play!''" to great audience applause. * During a fight, Ade accidentally hits Rik on the nose for real, causing a character break by Ade to say ''"You all right? I actually hit you on the nose then, didn't I?"'' * A brief gag involving Richie's failed attempt at hiding Monica from Eddie was excluded of all home media releases of the show for unknown reasons. Footage of this gag is now considered to be lost. * After Richie attempted to kick Eddie in the crotch in response to an insult, a metal clanging sound is heard and Richie yells in pain and asks, ''"What have you got up there?"'' to which Eddie replies, ''"My testicles."'' This scene is also from the Dangerous Brothers sketch "Crocodile Snogging". ** Similarly, in the first act, a visual gag wherein the pair spit out their teeth (having bitten into a Special K brick) mirrors a similar gag in The Dangerous Brothers sketch "Exploding Politicians". * There is a part in the second act where Ade hits Rik in the crotch with a
cricket bat A cricket bat is a specialised piece of equipment used by batters in the sport of cricket to hit the ball, typically consisting of a cane handle attached to a flat-fronted willow-wood blade. It may also be used by a batter who is making batte ...
. Rik responds with ''"Ha! Ha! Missed both my legs!"'' This is a reference to '' The Young Ones'' episode "
Oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...
". The same joke is done again in the ''Bottom Live: The Big Number Two Tour''. * In this and future live shows Rik Mayall is always the first cast member to both speak and appear on stage, shortly followed by Ade Edmondson.


References

{{Bottom (TV series) Bottom (TV series)