Express & Star

You never know what your fans will ask you

Afternoon, laydees and gents. Boycie here. Hahahahahahaha. Might I say, you're all looking pukka today.

Published

Phew. I tell you what, Marlene has had me run ragged in recent days. I've been on the road with my new show, Only Fools And Boycie – hundreds of you will have seen it during recent visits to The Public, at Sandwell, and The Assembly Rooms, at Ludlow.

It's been going down a storm. In fact, it's been so successful that I'm thinking of taking it back on the road, later this year, or maybe next.

The show has been focused on my life as one of the nation's favourite sitcom characters. I've shown clips from Only Fools and Horses, regaled people with stories from behind the scenes and taken questions from members of the audience. I've signed hundreds of books and photographs and met people who feel as though they've known me for their entire lives.

During my tour, I had one of the most surreal experiences of my life. We played a gig recently at The Public and before the gig received a Tweet from a local company, called Mask-Arade.

They once appeared on Dragon's Den – remarkably, they were turned down, which ranked as one of the worst business decisions ever made by Peter, Duncan and the gang. They make celebrity masks and they've gone on to be a huge success.

They asked me whether I'd mind if they made masks of Boycie and Marlene for my audience at The Public, which I thought would be great fun. So during the halftime break, my not-so-glamorous assistant – don't worry Andy, I'm only joking – went around the audience, dispensing masks to 120 or so audience members.

Then after the final curtain call, I went into the audience to have my photograph taken with 120 look-a-likes. It was a strangely discomforting experience. I've seen myself on celluloid before – Only Fools and Horses was such a big hit that the re-runs continue to this day. But I've never previously been confronted by 120 look-a-likes. Let me tell you, it was a little scary.

The gigs were a blast. Nick Owen, the BBC presenter from Midlands Today, made it along to the West Bromwich gig and enjoyed it. I've met Nick quite a few times and he's a real gent. Like me, he's a huge fan of sport and he also has strong connections with Shropshire.

Between tour dates, I've also been writing my new novel. It's called Reggie A Stag At Bay and focuses on a market trader from London who has moved to the countryside. His exotic wife, Rosita, is a South American ex-burlesque dancer and they own an enormous old house, which Rosita wants to use for weddings. Reggie gets involved in lots of dodgy deals – a bit likeBoycie – and it should be out in September.

I'll be back on the road soon. I've been offered lots of dates, so I hope to see people in Wolverhampton, Stafford, Lichfield, Market Drayton, Birmingham and elsewhere when my show goes out for a further run.

The beauty of being on the road is that my show constantly evolves and I find myself telling different stories every time. No two nights are the same. There are a few tales that people always want to hear about, like their favourite scenes from Only Fools And Horses, my meetings with The Beatles or appearing in Dr Who.

But I find every audience has a different idea. At the end of my Only Fools And Boycie show, I take questions from people who've bought tickets.

Some people want to know whether Only Fools And Horses is going to return: answer, yes. Others want to know about my favourite scene: answer, I talk about them in the show. Others want to know about Sir David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst or Tom Baker, from Dr Who.

Though my spring tour is almost at an end. I'll be back soon for more. Hahahahaha.

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