Comedy review: Kevin Dodd, Glasgow

A REMARKABLE performer, Ken Dodd betrays absolutely no desire to retire, with a zest for the spotlight to rival acts a quarter his age. Saturday night's Doddathon clocked in comfortably over four hours, with the 83-year-old on stage for at least three. Several routines may have tailed off or faltered into incoherence, but the Squire of Knotty Ash's hit rate remained high by dint of sheer relentlessness.

At his best, milking his notorious run-in with the taxman for wisecracks laced with ill-disguised bitterness or segueing seamlessly into song, he remains a fluid pro. He was indulged when he claimed to have "just been" to Elton John's wedding, that particular event being more than five years ago and a couple of throwaway references to "gypos" prompted uncomfortable shifting among the crowd. But his old-fashioned music hall instincts otherwise served him well, the irrepressible banter, the shameless puns and the endearingly creaky shaggy dog stories showcasing extensively practised skill.

Variety was afforded by an earnest cruise ship singer and multi-instrumentalist delivering a string of rock'n'roll and classical standards. But it was Dodd himself that best leavened the gag onslaught with set-pieces like his straightforwardly impressive ventriloquism, tightly scripted and winningly performed. The format of these shows has changed little over the last decade, but I wouldn't bet against him still pulling them in a decade hence.