AN entertainer will make a return appearance at his home town theatre this weekend 43 years after last performing there.

In 1963, 19-year-old Mike Falcon and his band the Aristocrats were booked to play a week of gigs in the unlikely setting of their local cinema, the Empire at Ewood.

Tomorrow night, Mike (pictured right) will once again be performing in the same building now the Thwaites Empire Theatre for the first time since then "It has taken me 43 years to be rebooked," he laughed, "that must be some kind of record.

"I can't wait to go back there and to see what they have done to the place."

Mike and his band got their original booking at a time when bingo was taking the crowds away from the cinemas.

"I think the manager at the Empire wanted to try something new," he said.

"It was in the days when they showed a B movie or a short before the main film.

"We played after the short for about 20 minutes on a kind of platform built in front of the cinema screen and then the new James Bond film, From Russia With Love was shown.

"I remember it was really full every night, although James Bond may have had something to with that.

"We were paid six pounds 10 shillings (£6.50) for the week which we split between the five of us."

Born and raised in Blackburn, Mike lived in Herbert Street as a boy and left school, the now demolished St Peter's in Blackburn, at 14.

But he always dreamed of being an entertainer.

By the age of 16 he was in a band and his life has been in show business ever since.

"It was around the time of the Beatles and everyone wanted to be in a band," he said.

"We thought we were going places at the time. We were a rock and roll band and did cover versions of songs by Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly. Back then hardly anyone performed their own material."

But the Empire gig proved to be one of the last for Mike and the Aristocrats.

"We just drifted apart as bands do," he said. "Mick Welsh the bass player left to join the Four Pennies and went on to have a number one with Juliet and I decided to go solo as I wanted a long term career. "

Mike went on to become a Pontin's Bluecoat before becoming a highly successful entertainer.

He has worked with some legendary showbiz names including Jimmy Tarbuck, Ken Dodd, Mike Yarwood and Dickie Henderson.

Now 62, Mike who lives in Markham Road, Blackburn, still performs regularly around the UK and in Europe.

On Sunday he will be on the bill of a special charity variety show at the Thwaites Empire Theatre to raise money to refurbish the outside of the building.

Over the last five years around £700,000 has been raised to transform the once derelict building into Blackburn's newest theatre.

Tickets for Sunday Night at the Empire will be available from the theatre on the door priced £10. Doors open at 7pm.