(Image: The Goon Preservation Society)
A legendary radio comedy series turning 75 years old is being celebrated with a special event.
The Goon Show Preservation Society has announced a tribute marking the milestone anniversary of the show, a BBC Radio comedy that ran from May 1951 and made stars of Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe, and Michael Bentine.
The event is part of the York 50-Plus Festival and will take place on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 2pm to 4pm at The Scenic Stage Theatre on the University of York’s East Campus.
Richard Usher, acting chair and secretary of the Goon Show Preservation Society, said: "This is such an important milestone to celebrate, and we’re so proud to be able to produce this unique comedy event in support of AgeUK York.
"The Goon Show was ground-breaking and culturally influential beyond being simply a radio comedy show.
"Without The Goons there would probably have been no Monty Python, no Beatles – they were an artistic catalyst that has echoes and tendrils of influence three-quarters of a century later.
"This event will commemorate the impact of The Goon Show and give you a chance to learn about it and experience some of what made it so remarkable."
Organised by the Goon Show Preservation Society in collaboration with the Borthwick Institute for Archives, the event will feature rarely seen archive material and live performances.
The Birmingham Comedy Festival will revive two classic radio show scripts in a stage production, with a Q&A session featuring the cast and special guests.
Gary Brannan, keeper of archives and research collections at the University of York, said: "Working with the Goon Show Preservation Society to celebrate 75 years of The Goon Show is an absolute joy.
"The Borthwick has really established itself as a home for 20th-century popular entertainment, and the Goons are very much a defining jewel in our collection crown.
"Reading brilliant comedy on paper is one thing, but seeing those wild scripts brought back to life will be something else entirely."
The event is supported by the Milligan family, Spike Milligan Productions, and the estates of Larry Stephens and Maurice Wiltshire, who have all granted permission for the public performance of the scripts.
A spokesman from the Birmingham Comedy Festival said: "We're very pleased, in what is our 25th year, to be asked to take part in The GSPS's celebration marking 75 years of a British comedy institution.
"As the first company outside of The Goons and the BBC to be officially granted permission to bring their classic radio scripts to the stage back in 2014, it's a production we've found ourselves returning to again and again, and very much look forward to bringing The Goons' unique brand of anarchic humour to York in October."
Tickets are priced at £10, with all proceeds going to support AgeUK York.
They can be purchased online at tftv.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873689824.