'Carrying on Dad's panto legacy feels emotional'
BBCThe daughter of entertainer Keith Harris has said it has been "emotional" to carry on his legacy and perform at the theatre where he holds the record for the most seats sold in a summer season.
Kitty Harris has the title role in Cinderella at the Grand Theatre in Blackpool and said she had "always wanted" to perform there, because it was such an important place for her father.
Keith Harris, who died in 2015, was a stalwart of stage and TV in the 1970s and 80s alongside his puppet sidekicks Orville the Duck and Cuddles the Monkey and continued to appear in panto until shortly before his death.
Kitty said panto had been "so important to my dad".
Keith Harris rose to fame in the late 1960s and went on to have huge success.
Orville, an innocent green duck in an oversized nappy, was his most famous creation and relentlessly taunted by Cuddles, whose catchphrase was "I hate that duck".
The talented ventriloquist's TV series, The Keith Harris Show, featured Orville and ran on Saturday evenings on BBC One between 1982 and 1990.
He also had a hit with Orville's Song, popularly known as I Wish I Could Fly, which number four in the charts in 1982.
He was also a seasoned pantomime performer and appeared on stages across the country over the course of his career.
His daughter said appearing at the Grand, where Harris performed so many times, was "emotional because I'm very similar to Dad".
"It's sad - he went too early but it's okay because... I'm here carrying on that legacy."
She said her father set the record for selling the most seats during a five-month summer season at The Grand in 1983.
"I don't think anyone can beat it now because they've taken some of the seats out," she added.
Playing the Fairy Godmother alongside Kitty has been former Emmerdale and Coronation Street actor Hayley Tamaddon.
Tamaddon said she knew Keith Harris "back in the day" and Kitty had approached her for acting lessons a few years ago.
She said it was good to now come full circle and performing with her on stage.
"It feels pretty magical to us," she said.
Kitty said the actress had "basically been my fairy godmother in real life" and had "helped me with everything - acting, singing, dancing... she's incredible".
Grand Theatre chief executive Adam Knight said Keith Harris had "a legend in British entertainment and an important part of this theatre's history".
He said he was delighted to have the star's daughter in the pantomime and it was "wonderful to see Kitty following in his footsteps".
Cinderella is on at the Grand Theatre Blackpool until 5 January.
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