Tattyfilarious!

Standing as the last great titan of the music hall tradition, Ken Dodd believed a comedy show was an endurance test for everyone involved. With his wild hair and legendary "tickling stick," he was a living cartoon who brought a surreal, high-energy frenzy to the stage. Dodd was famous for his five-hour sets, often refusing to let the audience leave until well past midnight, firing off one-liners at a rate that left people physically exhausted. He viewed himself as a "jester" whose sole purpose was to dispense joy.

He created the "Diddymen," mythical creatures from the Liverpool suburb of Knotty Ash, turning a simple neighbourhood into a kingdom of jam butties and treacle mines. This world-building was a form of folk-art, a surrealist escape that appealed to children and adults alike. Dodd was also a record-breaking singer, with his anthem "Happiness" reflecting his unpretentious philosophy that a laugh was the most valuable thing a person could own. Despite a high-profile tax trial—which he brilliantly turned into material—his popularity never wavered, because the public recognised his total dedication.

He kept meticulous notebooks of every gig he ever played, analysing which jokes worked in which towns with the rigor of a scientist. This obsession with the craft meant that he remained a master of timing until his final performances at age 90. Dodd was a bridge to a vanished world of variety, a man who treated every audience like a family gathering. He proved that pure silliness is a timeless virtue and that the best way to spend a night is in a theatre, losing track of time while a man in a red, white, and blue suit tells you jokes.