TO BUY TICKETS: Bernie’s Birthday Bonanza at Barnsley’s Lamproom Theater is Friday 22nd April – buy tickets now at barnsleylamproom or call the box office, Monday to Saturday, 10am-2.30pm, on 01226 200075.
In an exclusive and hilarious conversation – watch above or click here – the Barlow-based comic joked about finding a young volunteer jockey to take the reins of Oswald, his famous life-size orange ostrich puppet.
But in truth, the goofy veteran comedian and national treasure says he has no plans to retire
His one-man show promises a look of laughter and tears at his life story, from his early days as a boy on Merseyside, narrowly escaping Hitler’s bombs, to his club work, television, on radio and stage, including pantos and appearing on TV classics like Crackerjack and twice on the Royal Variety Performance, in 1979 and 2016.
Bernie, who is also currently working on his autobiography, played trombone with English football band ‘Barmy Army’ at the World Cup and other key domestic matches, including a visit to Ukraine.
He was also a regular on BBC Radio Sheffield and his former live weekend radio show remains much loved and missed by fans.
Recently, he showcased his incredible singing voice on the hit TV show The Voice, where he performed The Impossible Dream, from Man of La Mancha.
In 2018, he also starred in ITV’s Last Laugh in Vegas, a documentary following eight showbiz legends as they prepared for a show in Las Vegas.
Earlier this month he made an unscheduled phone appearance on the Chris Moyles Show on Radio X, after being referenced by comedian Jon Richardson, who appeared on the radio show earlier that morning.
But his greatest fame is as a goofy comic on the back of life-size ostrich puppet Oswald. In 1982, he even ran the London Marathon in full gear.
Oswald will be in the background during his show at Barnsley, with plenty of footage from the past, but is Bernie still “rolling” over Oswald?
“The truth is, I don’t normally say it on camera, but no, I don’t. Because his legs are gone,” he said.
“But I am looking for volunteers. I am looking for a young jockey to take over the reins.
He added: “There are a lot of memories and images of Oswald the Ostrich.
“Funny enough, the World Wide Fund for Nature issued a subpoena to say that if I continue to mistreat the animal, as I have done in the past, I will receive a subpoena.
“In fact, they might even start picketing my house. So he’s very much in the background.”
Bernie, from St Helen’s in Merseyside, started his career in South Yorkshire with Pogmoor man Terry Herrington, who was music director at the Greasborough Working Men’s Club. They became good friends and toured together.
He well remembers playing in the miners’ welfare clubs around Goldthorpe and Barnsley.
“The wheel has made a complete revolution. I can’t wait to perform back in the city,” he said of his upcoming show at the Lamproom Theater, which he has performed nationwide.
“It’s all about my life and times, from growing up in St Helen’s where a bomb missed my head 20 yards, to finding myself in high school copying homework from Arthur Cunningham.
“I became a plumber at St Helen’s, joined the RAF, defended the kingdom and became a singing boy in the Yorkshire club.
“From there I went on to do Crackerjack, that led me to The Voice, which was a great thing for my career; Las Vegas and then from there back to Barnsley.”
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Source: www.thestar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-03-28 22:02:16
