ACTOR and comedian Tony Robinson today sent a personal message to the family of a man who collapsed and died before one of his shows.

Shocked audience members looked on as the 65-year-old from Clitheroe fell to the ground in the bar of Burnley Mechanics.

He was at the theatre for the one-man comedy stage Cunning Night Out show on Wednesday night and is believed to have suffered a heart attack.

The actor and amateur archaeologist, best known as Baldrick in the BBC 1 classic Blackadder, last night took time out from the next leg of his UK tour in Ludlow to send his sympathies to the man's family.

He is still recovering from the loss of his mother, Phyllis, 89, from Alzheimer's and is due to reveal details of her battle for life in a new Channel 4 documentary called Me And My Mum.

Speaking during the interval in the first performance since the tragic events of Wednesday night, Mr Robinson said: "I want to send my love to his family.

"I lost my mum three months ago so I know how they must be feeling."

The man collapsed and, despite the efforts of First Aid-trained theatre staff and paramedics, never regained consciousness and died later that evening.

Kirk Worley, manager of the Manchester Road theatre, said there were around 20 people in the bar at the time. He said: "It was a very sad start to the evening.

"He was in the downstairs bar about half an hour before the show was due to start.

"I believe he was shaking and went up to the bar get a drink.

"He then just collapsed on the floor.

"Everyone was very concerned and one of our First Aiders carried out CPR along with an audience member.

"The ambulance then got here and took him away but we heard he had died."

An ambulance spokesman confirmed a 65-year-old man was taken to Burnley General Hospital following a collapse at the theatre.