Celebrating 75 years of The Goon Show, a classic comedy series honoured with a unique event at the University of York, including a special performance of Birmingham Comedy Festival’s live stage show on Saturday 17 October 2026

The 75th anniversary of the most influential British radio comedy series ever, The Goon Show, is being celebrated at a special one-off event on Saturday 17 October 2026, at the University of York.

Hosted by The Goon Show Preservation Society (GSPS) and The Borthwick Institute For Archives, University of York, the afternoon features a look at the institute’s extensive archival British comedy holdings – which includes many rarely seen items relating to The Goons, including scripts, recordings, photographs and personal items – alongside a Q&A, and Birmingham Comedy Festival‘s acclaimed live stage production, which recreates two classic Goon Show episodes.

Debuting in 1951, Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe, along with Michael Bentine, revolutionised British comedy. As The Goons, their radio exploits – featuring anarchic humour, madcap characters and surreal situations – attracted millions of listeners every week. The series ended in 1960, but its influence can be clearly seen on such figures as The Beatles, Monty Python and The Goodies, through to The League Of Gentlemen, Vic and Bob, The Mighty Boosh and Eddie Izzard. Meanwhile, each Goon went on to establish hugely successful solo careers, spanning film, TV, music, books and theatre.

Today, the series continues to enthral fans old and new with episodes repeated regularly on BBC Radio 4Xtra.

In 2014, Birmingham Comedy Festival became the first company outside of the BBC to be officially granted permission to perform classic Goon Show scripts, and has continued to restage and tour various episodes since. Commissioned by The GSPS, they visit York to present 1958’s The Seagoon Memoirs, where Neddie is encouraged to document his questionable war time exploits; and The Phantom Head Shaver (Of Brighton), in which a mysterious fiend sets about ‘balding’ hundreds of sleeping Sussex men – an episode originally recorded on 17 October 1954!

Returning to the stage for the production are Mark Earby (Milligan), Jimm Rennie (Secombe) and Richard Usher (Sellers).

The special afternoon event is part of York 50+ Festival (1-18 October 2026), and in support of Age UK York.

The Goon Show: 75 Years plays at The Scenic Theatre, University of York (East Campus) Saturday 17 October 2026. Tickets are available here.