Homecoming as Doncaster's Brian Blessed to star at Comic Con show

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The 89-year-old TV and film star will be back on home soil

Booming Brian Blessed is set to make a noise – when he makes a homecoming appearance at a South Yorkshire Comic Con.

The big-voiced star, famed for his roles in Flash Gordon, Blackadder and Z-Cars, will appear at Sheffield Comic Con on September 13 – making a return to the area where he was born back in 1936.

The performer, now 89, is one of Britain’s biggest and best known stars and has appeared in a host of movies and hit TV shows and is known around the globe for his larger than life persona.

The event, taking place at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre will run from 10am to 4pm and is set to be a jam-packed day of entertainment featuring celebrity appearances, cosplay competitions, guest panels, and merchandise stalls.

As well as Brian, there will also be actors and creators from programmes and films such as Red Dwarf, Gavin and Stacey and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

You can explore the trader booths for unique collectibles and merchandise. There will also be plenty of activities to take part in, providing plenty of relaxed, drop-in fun throughout the day and offering something more to enjoy alongside the main show attractions.

Fans of the iconic British science fiction comedy, Red Dwarf, will get the opportunity to meet and take a photo with Danny John Jules, famously known for playing the role of Cat in the classic TV show, with John Altman of ‘Nasty Nick’ Cotton fame on Eastenders as well as Gavin and Stacey star Mathew Horne also in attendance.

It will mark a return to Blessed’s South Yorkshire roots.

He was born at Montagu Hospital in Mexborough and after leaving school, started drama training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, where his contemporaries included Patrick Stewart, and then found fame as PC “Fancy” Smith in the BBC TV series Z-Cars, between 1962 and 1965.

More TV roles followed in The Avengers, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and Doctor Who while on stage he starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats.

One of his best remembered roles was as Prince Vultan in the 1980 film Flash Gordon for which he is frequently remembered for the exclamation “Gordon’s alive!”

He also appeared as Richard IV in the first series of Blackadder while to younger viewers he is known as the voice of Grampy Rabbit in Peppa Pig.

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