Review: Bruce Forsyth, Symphony Hall, Birmingham
'A bit of singing, a bit of dancing, a little bit of piano and an awful lot of laughter, I hope' is showbiz legend Sir Bruce Forsyth's description of his latest live show – but it is also a little more.
Besides the polished songs and comedy routines, there is also a reflective side as the 85-year-old entertainer pays tribute to friends now gone and even ruminates on the frustrations of getting older.
After hitting the stage to the familiar Strictly Come Dancing theme, Sir Bruce ventured out into the audience to shake hands and deliver a few cheeky asides.
After asking one man where he came from and receiving the response 'Dudley' the entertainer quipped 'never mind'. Last night's performance ended with Sir Bruce sitting alone on stage answering questions from an adoring audience.
He admitted that he could no longer tap dance like he used to. "I am pretty good for my age and can still do a lot," he said.
"But at the end of the day I am 85. I have to admit I do feel a little envious of the young people on Strictly Come Dancing when I see them jump about." The star touched upon his disagreement with Simon Cowell after saying he believed young children should not be allowed to perform on TV talent shows.
"I know Simon Cowell has called me Mr Grumpy, so I have started calling him Mr Lumpy as he has put on a couple of pounds recently," he added. Someone asked him if he could get them tickets for his performance at Glastonbury. "I didn't realise the tickets had sold out. It's a pity they didn't sell out tonight," he quipped.
But the show wasn't all reflective, with Sir Bruce performing songs from his album My Favourite Things and performing comedy routines.
Lee Watton
