The audience at the Dome may well bring along flasks and sandwiches and maybe a blanket.

Ken Dodd is not noted for the brevity of his performances and his Happiness Show is known to be the despair of managers wanting to avoid breaking the overtime budgets.

While most other actors of his age (more than 70) have retired, Diddy is still wielding his tickling stick, keeping those trademark buck-teeth polished and spreading joy and laughter throughout the land.

He has also beaten the Beatles, Michael Owen, Bill Shankley, Harold Wilson, Cilla Black and a whole host of Liverpudlian heroes to the title of Greatest Merseysider Ever.

Next year he marks 50 years in showbusiness, during which he has won many awards but he is prouder of none more than this latest accolade.

He says: "I am truly thrilled, delighted and grateful to receive this award. It is a very special and prestigious honour. It means more than anything and was given to me by the people of Merseyside after a two-month vote on local radio.

"I have travelled all over the world but I have yet to visit any place to compare with Merseyside. It has such a rich diversity of creative talents in music, the arts and especially humour.

"The people are blessed with kindness, generosity and have tremendous energy and drive. My comic heroes were Arthur Askey, Ted Ray, Rob Wilton, Tommy Handley and a host of other Merseyside mirthmakers. Even Harold Wilson was known to make the odd wry quip."

Doddy still lives in the home where he was born, a Georgian farmhouse in legendary Knotty Ash, and rarely spends a night away from home, driving halfway through the night after a show.

Has he ever thought of retirement? "Retirement," he snorts, "It has never crossed my mind. Why should I think of packing it in? "I love every minute of what I do. Anyway it isn't a real job. I have been doing it for almost 50 years now and it is more of a hobby because I love it so much. My grand giggle tour of the British Isles will continue for as long as I enjoy making people laugh."

Starts 7pm. Call 01273 709709 for tickets.