By Royal appointment...
Byrne gets a mainstream break
Omid Djalili, Jason Byrne and Ken Dodd are the comedians booked for this year’s Royal Variety Performance.Dodd is an old hand at the shows, while Djalili previously appeared on the 2002 bill – but the booking is a first for livewire Irish comic Byrne.
Exposure to such a large mainstream audience can prove a turning point for comics well known on the circuit but yet to achieve major fame.
Dodd hosted the most-watched Royal Variety Show ever, in 1967, which was seen by 22.8 million people – one of the ten biggest-rating British TV shows ever.
But Dodd also holds another Royal Variety record, which will come as no surprise to anyone who’s seen his mammoth live shows – the record for overrunning. He was booked to perform a 12-minute routine but stayed on for 40.
Other acts booked for the 78th Royal Variety Performance include Rod Stewart, Barry Manilow, Take That, the cast of Spamalot – and Jordan and Peter Andre.
The show, in aide of the Entertainment Artistes’ Benevolent Fund, takes place at the London Coliseum on December 4 in the presence of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
Published: 8 Nov 2006
