A Ken Dodd show is a bit like a mini weekend break, writes Shirley Tart. And that’s just the first half.

The rest of it becomes the survival of the fittest – and those who don’t have to worry about baby sitters, booked taxis or an early morning start.

But for the most part, Doddy fans, among the most loyal in the land, stay the course of what they know will be a marathon of mirth.

And so it was last night.

Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn got a royal opening and there was another royal welcome for the King of Chuckle.

Ken has been entertaining us for most of our lives – he’s 81 and showing barely any sign of slowing up – just as you think he might ease off a bit, he wakes you up with a sharp rap of a tickling stick and a song.

If some of the jokes were originals rather than new ones, they still drew gales of laughter from a packed theatre.

The songs fans know and love – Tears, Happiness, the lot – were delivered with much encouragement for everyone to join in, which we did. And there were still smiles even when Knotty Ash’s famous chappie was having a tongue-in-cheek nudge at Shropshire, the county town, the Music Hall he calls the shed and, for some reason, Wem!

But it was all affectionate and good humoured.

The secret of Ken Dodd is not that he keeps up with the times, more that he hardly changes his act at all.

He also manages to pick out a couple of people from the front row to rag, while still engaging the rest of the audience. Last night two willing “props” were horticulturist Margaret Thrower and Rosemarie Jones, from Atcham, who at the last count had seen Ken on stage something more than 600 times.

He was supported by singer and musician Sybie Jones and magician Paul Derek with backing music from David Carter and Kenny Adams.

And tonight Ken will do the same again for another packed house.