Statue of Roy Hudd to be sited at the Theatre Royal

A statue of Suffolk actor and comedian Roy Hudd is to be sited outside the Theatre Royal, in Bury St Edmunds (pictured above).

West Suffolk Council have agreed to the plans to put the memorial on land next to the Georgian playhouse and gave three years to begin to install it.

Hudd, who lived near Stowmarket, was famous for hosting BBC Radio 2’s “The News Huddlines” for 26 years and also starred in Coronation Street before he died in 2020.

The statue was created by local sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn after a fundraising campaign.

The idea for the statue of Hudd sitting on a bench was thought up by his widow Debbie as the family was unable to hold a memorial service after his death due to the Covid pandemic.

She came up with the idea of a statue outside the Theatre Royal, which the comedian loved performing at and visiting.

Hudd performed at the theatre, including in the show “Goodnight Mister Tom” in 2018, in which he attracted a record audience.

The statue, costing about £100,000, has been paid for by his wife and private donations.