KEN Dodd is set to put a smile on the faces of Bournemouth theatregoers when the veteran entertainer brings his Happiness Show to the Pavilion in April.

Ken is a comedian of unrivalled legendary status; an icon and national treasure who has been entertaining audiences for more than 60 years.

Those who come to enjoy his famous ‘Happiness Show’ will be absolutely discumknockerated (that’s Knotty Ash for ‘over the moon’) by a truly tattifelarius (fun-filled) evening of laughter and songs.

His fun-filled Happiness Show is for all the family, with nonstop gags and a selection of songs presented in Ken’s unique style. The music includes everything from ballads to grand opera!

Ken celebrated his 60th anniversary year as a professional entertainer in 2014. He is a crusader on behalf of live theatre, and his famous Ken Dodd ‘Happiness Show’ takes him on a virtual non-stop tour of the UK – clocking up thousands of miles annually.

His late father, Arthur, was a coal merchant who ran his business from the family home. Ken used to help deliver the coal with his brother, Billy.

His father and late mother, Sarah, bought Ken his first ‘Punch & Judy Show’ when he was a child, and he used to put on shows in the back garden.

Later he began his charitable fundraising activities by making appearances in local shows and garden fetes. He and his sister, June, had dancing lessons together and would give their parents impromptu shows.

His famous protruding teeth were caused by a childhood cycling accident and were once insured for one-million pounds.

Ken’s love of showbiz began when he saw an advert for a ventriloquist’s doll in a local paper.

His parents bought it for him and he christened it ‘Charlie Brown’. Ken made his professional debut at the Empire Theatre, Nottingham, in September 1954 and right from the start loved ‘daft’ billing.

Early in his career he was described on show bills as: 'Professor Yaffle Chucklebutty – Operatic Tenor and Sausage Knotter’.

He created his famous Diddymen and they have featured in his stage and television shows, as well as in comics and even board games.

Characters like Dickie Mint, Mick The Marmaliser and The Hon Nigel Ponsonby Smallpiece are among the mythical Diddymen who work in the legendary Knotty Ash snuff quarries, blackpudding plantations and broken-biscuit repair works.

Today, his ventriloquial pal, Dickie Mint, remains a popular and endearing part of Ken’s shows.

  • Ken Dodd’s Happiness Show is at the Bournemouth Pavilion on April 4, 2015.