There are few performers associated with Blackpool’s entertainment heyday more than Ken Dodd. His marathon shows entertained audiences and frustrated stage managers in the resort for over six decades. Blackpool’s museum of entertainment, Showtown, now brings us a new exhibition, Happiness! devoted to the comedy maestro. Stephen Dunstan headed to the launch.
Following opening remarks from Showtown’s Head of Heritage Jill Carruthers, veteran stand-up Mick Miller opened proceedings with a warm and touching tribute to someone he clearly considered to be a good friend as well as fellow comedian. His anecdotes included the first of several on the day about Dodd’s infamous tight-fistedness. He also did a masterful mini routine about failing to sell the Diddy Men concept to US television producers.
Spencer Phillips, Chairman of the Blackpool Heritage and Museum Trust, spoke in detail about Ken’s astonishing output in the resort. He comfortably tops the metrics for most shows performed here by any star ever and the most hours on stage. Sean Gorringe, Head of Operations at the Grand Theatre, drew out this portrait of a workaholic with stories of being given hand-me-down wine as a thank you and the various ruses to try in vain to get a relatively on-time finish to performances.
Finally, Lady Dodd (pictured above) reflected on her husband’s lifelong love affair with Blackpool. Her speech included particularly poignant insights into opening Ken’s journals, which he hadn’t wanted keeping, and learning so much about the creative process. It was also clear that he, like many natural comedians, was never really off duty, with dinner parties becoming opportunities to test new material in the way that might be done at a scratch night these days. Lady Dodd remembered Ken saying he was on stage in Blackpool every year of his performing life, and he always referred to the town as the showtown of Britain.
The new exhibition at Showtown features a variety of props and photographs from Ken Dodd’s long and stellar stage career. There’s even an interactive map showing the places across the country where he performed. For me though, the highlight was the selection of journal pages. Like his wife’s tender and warm speech, they gave an insight into a man who was clearly more complex than the Diddy Men and Knotty Ash caricatured memories would suggest.
Happiness! The Ken Dodd Exhibition is ticketed separately from the main Showtown museum and costs just £3 (children 15 and under free). The exhibition runs to 3 January 2027. Book here.
