Paul Yule

Captures Rowan Atkinson before the rise of Mr. Bean or Blackadder, when he was still forging his comedic voice on the stages of Oxford and the Edinburgh Fringe in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Photographed by Paul Yule, the images offer an intimate backstage and rehearsal view of this creative generation in formation. In these early years, Atkinson performed in revues alongside collaborators like Richard Curtis, Howard Goodall, Angus Deayton, Tim McInnerny, and Helen Fielding—many of whom also went on to international prominence. The volume interleaves performance photos, candid behind‑the‑scenes moments, and shots of the live shows, preserving the youthful energy and raw inventiveness of the group long before they became household names. Alongside the photographs, the book includes original scripts by Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis, as well as vintage reviews, posters, and programme notes—making it part archive, part anecdote-infused social history.

Paul Yule’s The Emerging Genius offers a rare and vivid window into the making of a comedy legend.

270 pages, 25 × 20 cm, a beautifully produced, hardbacked collector’s photobook.