Ken Dodd's Laughter Show, St David's Hall

3:27pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

PRAY for a power cut because that's the only way you get out of a Ken Dodd show before he has finished with you and towards the end of his five hour ten minute comedy marathon I was hoping for a hook to appear from behind the curtain to drag him off so we could all go home.

Staff at the St David's Hall venue were asking the incoming audience if they had brought their pyjamas they were not joking but Ken WAS, telling joke after joke until you thought your ribs would break.

He may be well past qualifying for his bus pass but there is still no one to match him for humour and stamina.

It was two hours 45 minutes before we had an intermission and we were told that if anyone sneaked out early then Ken would follow them home and shout the jokes through their letterbox.

The writing was on the wall when Ken returned after the break with a flask and sandwiches and told us all we may as well stay as we had probably been reported missing anyway!

Still in fine voice Doddy treated us to a number of songs but it was the jokes we had come for. Referring to Liverpool's "City of Culture" status Ken said he had stepped out of his front door in Knotty Ash the other morning to find his wheels gone and his car jacked up on encyclopedias.

I could have done with an hour hacked off this 81-year-old's humour blitz but it would take a brave man to tell Doddy to let his audience go home.

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