How tickled he'd be - Sir Ken Dodd's legacy lives on at Shakespeare North Playhouse

• Watch Gamal Fahnbulleh's chat with Lady Anne Dodd on the opening day of the Shakespeare North Playhouse

The widow of the late Sir Ken Dodd says the comedian would be 'absolutely thrilled' by the new Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot.

Lady Anne Dodd donated £700,000 to the project from The Ken Dodd Charitable Foundation.

In return, a new outdoor performance garden has been named in his honour, where it's hoped comedians and entertainers of the future will soon hone their craft.

Sir Ken was asked about investing in the project two years before his death. He passed away in March 2018 at the age of 90.

Lady Anne Dodd said: "Theatre was his life, real live theatre, and that's why to be involved with this performance garden was so exciting, he was asked about that a couple of years before his death."

Although primarily known as a standup comedian, Sir Ken was also an accomplished actor, with appearances in Doctor Who, and a number of Shakespeare productions, including Hamlet and Twelfth Night.

"He was thrilled to be asked to play Malvolio in Twelfth Night would you believe 50 years ago, back in 1971, and he really performed to great acclaim, it was wonderful."

This theatre, the whole complex is absolutely wonderful, for all ages, and all people and that's the whole idea that'll encourage children as well as adults."

The theatre opened its doors on Friday after years of construction at a cost of £30 million pounds.