Dodd is Dud-lay crowd's darling

Dudley Concert Hall

By Helen Guy

More than 1,000 faithful fans were tickled pink by Ken Dodd's latest epic performance in Dudley. The legend of 51 years in show business put on a marathon of around 2,000 jokes and songs for a delighted packed house.

Doddy was on stage for nearly four hours of the five hours and 20 minutes of the Happiness Show, featuring ventriloquist's dummy Dicky Mint and magicians Amethyst.

"You lot will all have been reported missing," he told the audience at 10.30pm, before proceeding to rattle off hundreds more jokes.

It was obvious the crowd, both young and old, loved his wacky humour from the moment he strode on stage at 7pm waving his tickling sticks and beating his drum.

Doddy showed no signs of slowing down at 81, although he did joke about lasting the night.

His love of Dudley shone through and made him the darling of the crowd.

While Bloxwich became the butt of many one-liners, "Dud-lay", as he pronounced it, is a place he loves to return to again and again.

Doddy told the Express & Star: "I try only to play the places I like, where we're all made welcome. Dudley is right at the top of the list."