Fiffen & Faffen Audio Podcasts

Jimmy Cricket’s first play, which got a great reception from the audience on its debut performance, also toured Northern England in 2019 and early 2020.

No more Fiffing and Faffing was staged for the first time in September 2018 at the Blackburn Empire Theatre.

Appearing with funnyman Jimmy is Jonathan Young from The Bachelors, and actor Colin Meredith, who has had several notable appearances in ITV’s Coronation Street over the years.

The play was performed at The Met in Bury (23 February 2019), and in between the boys other commitments then, was also @Chorley Theatre (19 May), then @Bridlington Spa (18 July) and the @Gladstone Theatre (6th Oct), then in 2020 it was performed @Plaza Theatre Stockport (19th Jan), then @Middlesbrough Theatre (23rd Jan).

No more Fiffing and Faffing was reviewed in an edition of the Rochdale-based Style magazine (see image below).

At the time Jimmy tweeted: “My thanks to Ruth and Colin @RochdaleStyle for the review in the recently released Style Magazine, we will be bringing the Comedy Play to @themet 23rd February, @ChorleyTheatre 19th May, @spabrid 18th July, and at the Gladstone Theatre in the #Wirral in 2019!”

The show, written by Jimmy, is an hilarious look at the end of an era of British comedy.

It is about a comedy double act called Joe Fiffen and Jerry Faffen on their last night in showbusiness in an end of Pier Show. Set in the Dressing Room, (where they settle old scores), and on stage, (where the audience share in some of their classic sketches and crossovers), it is a mixture of Drama and Variety!

Here is Steve Cooke’s Review in the Rochdale Observer:-

Laughter and tears in Jimmy’s faff-tastic end of pier show

Written by and starring Jimmy Cricket, expertly supported by Rochdale’s Colin Meredith and Jonathan Young from the  Bachelors, No More Fiffing and Faffing is a laugh out loud delight from beginning to end.

I was lucky enough to catch a performance at Bury Met in the company of Sue Devaney who herself is no stranger to mirth-making with such as her stint in Victoria Wood’s Dinner Ladies.

Set at the end of the pier, it’s the tale of a comedy double act, Fiffing and Faffing, who are preparing for their final performance after many years on the road together.

A final performance that is under threat of not happening because of a raging storm that has alerted a vigilant health and safety officer.

Tensions between Joe Fiffing, (Jimmy Cricket), and Jerry Faffing, (Jonathan Young), come to the fore and add to the likely hood of a no show.

Stage manager Archie Gibbons, (Colin Meredith), tries valiantly to smooth over the bumpy road to the final performance. The Audience are treated to moments of tension, pathos and downright hilarity.

In the scenes where Fiffing and Faffing perform their act we get Jimmy’s comedy golden nuggets at their best.

We see Joe and Jerry strut their stuff on stage, then follow them to the dressing room where they settle old scores!

Luckily Archie is on hand to sort things out, enabling the boys to perform all their best routines for their loyal fans at their swan song show.

Jimmy explained: “The show is a part drama and part variety. We see the duo doing their act on stage but also see what’s happening off stage in the dressing room. It’s nice being able to strike that balance so for an audience, there are some classic comedy routines to enjoy but also the relationship between the two comedians”.

Jimmy was inspired to write No More Fiffing and Faffing after working with so many double acts over his long career.