Inside The Wire: Happiness, The Ken Dodd Story

With just over a fortnight until opening night of ‘Happiness: The Ken Dodd Story’, we are deep into the process of running the show in its entirety twice a week. As a result, we are constantly discovering new and inventive ways to make this performance the punchiest it can be. Selling out our three night run just five days after tickets came on sale has only strengthened our commitment to getting absolutely everything right. It’s one of those things I don’t think I will ever process, until maybe opening night as I watch the audience take their seats, ready to be spellbound by Doddy’s incredible life all over again.

Though the popularity of the play can be partly attributed to Ken’s personal legacy, our early success has been earned through two years of meticulously adapting his life story into an outrageously entertaining and original piece of theater. We pride ourselves in the fact that you don’t really need to know anything about Ken before coming to see the show- it is absolutely hilarious in its own right. Dodd hit his peak in the 1960’s, before most of the cast, crew and possibly audience were even born, so we went to great lengths to keep the play refreshing and exciting.

One of the most effective ways we’ve done this is by vowing not to censor the story, delving into his political controversies and infamous tax trial for a rounded character study. I think people may be surprisingly moved by some of the darker moments in this play, as we explore how Ken was able to keep going throughout many of the lesser known tragic times in his life. Dramatic tonal shifts are a common theme in my work as I love to mirror the unpredictability of life.

Of course, though, the tragedy is woven between some of the most hyperactive comedic madness I’ve ever witnessed. Every rehearsal has been an absolute treat- whether it’s George Garford hopping around as the cheeky puppet Dicky Mint, Olivia Whittaker’s side-splitting physical improv, or the six-foot-five Sam Bolton waltzing in as Margaret Thatcher.

Mai and I place a huge emphasis on the social aspect of the process. I have always thought that if people don’t make lifelong friends on my projects then I haven’t done my job. It’s been nothing short of lovely to see everyone on the team getting on so well and this has completely added to the wholesome atmosphere surrounding the production.

For many of the cast, this is their first time portraying a real-life figure, and I’m honoured to see the respect with which this has been treated. Every time I see Adam he has picked up a new Dodd mannerism, while Alice, Leo and John have buried their noses in biographies to have an even deeper understanding of their characters beyond the events of the script.

We still have time until opening night, so the hard work continues. Though we cherish every piece of good news so far, the enormous duty we have to Ken, Lady Anne and their loyal fans is not lost on us. Mai and I firmly believe we are the people to tell Ken’s story and we cannot wait to prove it to our audiences over three nights of utter buffoonery with an emotional punch.

Written by Matthew Reynolds