I noticed that Ken Dodd is coming to the Spa Centre again this month to perform his ‘Happiness Show’, which is amazing as he is in his late 80s.
I went to see him about 15 years ago with my mum and brother. We had decided to take my mum as she had first seen him with her two sisters in the 1950s at the London Palladium in a variety show along with Cliff Richard. She had often told us a story of them being on the front row of the balcony and crying with laughter. She had also seen him at the Coventry Theatre (not the Belgrade, my mum said it was another theatre in Coventry that is no longer there).
Went on all night
We had heard that his show went on all night and audiences were often in the theatre till midnight. When he came on stage I remember him saying to get comfortable as we would be seated till at least midnight and he was right the show finished just after! My mum had a friend who did work backstage at the Spa Centre and she said that he would carry on telling jokes to the staff in the bar till 2-3am.
Have you seen Ken Dodd at the Spa Centre in Leamington?
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Hi Louise. The old Coventry Theatre was the Hippodrome, down where Millenium Place is in Coventry, opposite Pool Meadow. I went there myself for a cub gang show, but honestly can’t remember much about it, other than the rows of seats seemed very steep to a small boy!
Don’t *think* it was there where I cheered the baddies in the panto and booed the goodies, but it might have been…
(I’ll also offer a teaser that coming soon(ish) will be some photos of a big star performing there in the 1950s)
Just read this week’s Courier newspaper. There is a review of his show last week. The show started at 6pm (in preparation for a long show) and finished at just past 11pm!
We saw Ken Dodd at Spa Centre about 15+ years ago. As the Manager left he wished the audience good luck and hoped we’d brought our toothbrush.
We left at 10.30 pm at the first “interval”. I think the show ended after midnight. When Ken came on he said “I’ve got you! The doors are locked!” He was brilliant. So funny.
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