Ken Dodd makes it short but sweet

Apr 25 2008 by Philip Key, Liverpool Daily Post

KEN DODD gave his shortest-ever stage performance yesterday – but one of the most important for New Brighton.

Ken was trying out the stage at the new Floral Pavilion Theatre, still under construction on the Wirral resort’s sea front, and opened and closed his act in less than five minutes.

He had one theatre gag, he announced, and it concerned his recent treatment in hospital.

He joked that he was still awake to hear the surgeon asking for Ken to be given an anaesthetic over and over again.

“He’s been here for five hours – now let’s see how he likes it,” the surgeon said. Ken has traditionally kept his audiences in theatres long past midnight.

Ken first trod the Floral stage in “1940 – frozen-to-death” when he won a wax record and a 10-shilling note. “I still have it – the 10-shilling note, that is.”

He finished his mini-turn by waving his tickling sticks and singing a few bars of his theme song, Happiness.

It was a curious moment with the “stage” still bare concrete and an audience of builders who stood where the seating will eventually be situated.

There was not even a roof on the theatre, and Ken’s act took place during a sudden downpour.

But he was thrilled. He said later: “The building looks wonderful, full of wavy lines. And I have had so many laughs on the site today that I hope that it is a precursor for many to come in this building.

“To stand on any stage is inspiring for me and I felt inspired.”

He repeated his desire to be first on stage when the theatre is open for business. “I was the last act in the theatre and I want to be the first.”

Manager Paul Holliday said Ken WOULD be the first act on stage. “He would kill me otherwise.”

The new theatre complex, costing £11.5m, is expected to be completed in late November. The main structure is already in place and architect Ken Martin said the work was on time and looking good.

“The new stage will be a metre higher and two metres wider than the old stage and deeper,” he said.

Although there had been hopes that something of the old theatre might be incorporated into the design, that had not proved possible. “So this is a completely new theatre and conference centre.”

Although opinions varied on the opening date – they ranged from October to December among the officials – the theatre is already taking bookings for next year.

And the annual pantomime – Sleeping Beauty with children’s TV presenter Dave Benson Phillips – is pencilled in for December with confirmation expected in the next few days.

Mr Holliday said: “We will have a programme of our usual middle-of-the-road entertainment, but we hope to diversify, too, with dance and other arts events.”

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philkey@dailypost.co.uk