AFTER 48 years Brucie was back at the Pavilion Theatre Bournemouth. Clearly he knew his audience and was received with considerable applause from the moment he came on stage.

Accompanied by the Strictly Come Dancing band it was non-stop until the interval. There was plenty of banter with the audience, as he took a walk about in the stalls regaling stories from his past.

On stage there was further audience participation when four men were recruited to perform a parody from the Fred Astaire film Top Hat. Sir Bruce’s granddaughter Sophie Pardy was a surprise guest artist and sang a duet with her grandpa followed by a solo performance, which clearly thrilled the audience. The evening was clearly a family occasion, as also present in the audience was Sir Bruce’s wife.

The second half was filled with impressions of Sammy Davis Jnr, Dean Martin and other world renowned entertainers with whom Brucie had worked with over his many years in showbiz.

This performance was a prelude to the Royal Albert Hall where the show is due to be presented next week. At the conclusion the audience gave a standing ovation and refused to leave.

Sir Bruce came back on stage and then took questions from the audience. With singing, dancing and solo piano performances this made for a wonderful trip down memory lane.

Lee O’Connell