Happy Birthday Sooty! Beloved puppet celebrates 70 years
Beloved British puppet Sooty is celebrating his 70th birthday today, ahead of a magical trip to the West Midlands later this year.
The little yellow glove puppet, who was discovered in a Blackpool joke shop by actor and comedian Harry Corbett on July 19 1948, will be taking to the Grand Theatre stage in Wolverhampton this December for a 'mind-blowing' pantomime of Sleeping Beauty.
Sooty's puppeteer, Richard Cadell, told the Express & Star how 'excited' they both were to visit the city.
Richard said: "I came to Wolverhampton many years ago and I'm thrilled to be back.
"I haven't done pantomime with Sooty for a very long time so this is very exciting for us. Wolverhampton is a beautiful and wonderful theatre.
"Sooty is known for his magic, he's a member of the Magic Circle, and we're going to be doing some big Las Vegas illusions.
"It's going to be mind blowing, and with Debbie McGee in the show too, it will have so much magic - some of which has never even been seen in this country before. It's really going to be a knockout."
This Thursday, Sooty will be celebrating his 70th birthday, and Richard said the love for the small bear just got stronger over the years.
He added: "It's just incredible, how much love there is for the Sooty Show. It's not just a kids show, adults love it too. It's great it's still going. We've just finished a brand new series for ITV. The longer Sooty survives the more popular he becomes.
"It's just monumental to have this 70th birthday in the middle of everything that's already going on - it brings everything together."
Sooty's birthday will be celebrated this Thursday with the unveiling of a new plaque at the joke shop he was first purchased from back in 1948.
Sleeping Beauty will be appearing on stage at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from December 8 this year to January 13 2019. As well as Richard and Sooty, it also stars Strictly Come Dancing star Debbie McGee, the wife of late magician Paul Daniels; and Black Country panto favourites Doreen Tipton and Ian Adams.
Visit grandtheatre.co.uk for tickets and more information.
