Brian Conley at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

Brian Conley celebrates 600 appearances at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

I was at at the Birmingham Hippodrome last week photographing the cast and crew of Barnum celebrating Brian Conley’s record breaking 600th appearance at the theatre.

Earlier in the evening Conley was “gobsmacked” when the show’s producer wheeled a giant cake onto the stage during the curtain call to the applause of the packed audience and fellow cast members.

Brian Conley made his Hippodrome debut in Aladdin in 1992 alongside Brit Ekland and Danny La Rue and then starred in a further five pantos at the theatre. He has also played Jolson, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, Fagin in Oliver and compered the 1999 Royal Variety Performance at the Hippodrome in front of the Queen.

Conley’s reaction to the surprise was to drop to his knees and kiss the stage exclaiming “long may the Birmingham Hippodrome reign.”

After capturing the action onstage from the auditorium I hot footed it backstage just in time to organise the celebratory group shot before the entire crew headed off to a nearby Chinese restaurant to continue the party.