Before his passing, the iconic comedian Sir Ken Dodd had instructed his wife to destroy hundreds of private notebooks that he had filled with jokes and reflections on his life and seven-decade-long career. However, after his death in 2018, Lady Dodd made the decision not to destroy them, deeming them too valuable to be discarded.
Lady Dodd has chosen to preserve these notebooks, and she is currently exhibiting a selection of them to the public for the first time. These notebooks are considered “unique” and “invaluable,” according to Lady Dodd.
Ten notebooks are part of an exhibition at the Museum of Liverpool, which also includes memorabilia such as Sir Ken’s famous Diddymen puppets and tickling sticks. These ten notebooks were selected from approximately 1,000 surviving books in which the comedian meticulously documented jokes, marking the best ones with the acronym GOG for “good old gag.”
In addition to jokes, Sir Ken’s notebooks contain observations about the art of comedy and offer insights into his personal thoughts. They reveal that he occasionally had doubts about his famously lengthy performances, which could last for several hours.
The notebooks also contain records of how he critiqued his shows, creating lists of his routines and rating their audience reception from poor to very good.
Lady Dodd described the contents of the notebooks as being self-critical at times and occasionally containing deep thoughts. While some of the entries express concerns about his performances, others reflect his happiness in pursuing his career as an entertainer.
The notebooks include “mind maps” on various showbiz topics, illustrating interconnected subjects such as jokes, theaters, TV shows, superstitions, stage fright, and nerves.
Lady Dodd disclosed that Sir Ken had repeatedly asked her to burn the notebooks after his passing, but she could not bring herself to do it. She had not read the notebooks before her husband’s death and was initially curious about his strong desire to have them destroyed. However, upon reading them, she found nothing scandalous or unpleasant.
Ultimately, Lady Dodd decided to preserve the notebooks because she considered them unique and valuable as a reflection of her husband’s career and thoughts. Plans are underway to find a permanent home for the notebooks following the exhibition in Liverpool.
Karen O’Rourke, curator at the Museum of Liverpool, emphasized the significance of these notebooks, which were never intended for public viewing but offer a rare glimpse into Sir Ken Dodd’s private world as a comedian.
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