Leeds venue honours Ken Dodd
The City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds is to rename its auditorium in honour of Sir Ken Dodd.
The veteran comedian – who died in 2018 at the age of 90 – played there several times between 1953 to 1983.
His widow, Lady Dodd, pictured with her late husband, above, said: ‘If he'd known then that in years to come the city of Leeds would honour him by naming this glorious auditorium after him, he'd never have believed it. A man from Lancashire being honoured in Yorkshire - the War of the Roses is well and truly over!’
To mark the renaming, the venue will also be the first to screen the documentary The Real Ken Dodd: The Man I Love – on June 9
Narrated by Miriam Margolyes, the movie features Lee Mack, Harry Hill, Johnny Vegas, Paul O’Grady, Tim Vine, Les Dennis, and more – and true to Dodd’s reputation for long shows, runs for three hours.
And proceeds from he film will help fund the to build The Sir Ken Dodd Happiness Centre, a £15 million national comedy museum planned for the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool.
Published: 12 May 2024