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Sellout for comedy tour’s opening night 150 150 mhamer

Sellout for comedy tour’s opening night

Jimmy Cricket, John Linehan (aka May McFettridge), William Caulfield and Gene Fitzpatrick

The You Must Be Joking tour that reunited Jimmy Cricket with three fellow well-known Northern Ireland comedians had a first-night sellout.

Jimmy Cricket and fellow entertainers

Jimmy headlined the series of comedy shows, which also featured John Linehan (aka May McFettridge), William Caulfield and Gene Fitzpatrick.

It was a recreation of a successful format that was part of the 2013 Cookstown Comedy Festival.

The tour was hosted by four major theatres across Northern Ireland, with the opening night playing to a full house at the Grand Opera House in Belfast.

It then visited Newtonabbey and Derry before ending with a trip to the Market Place Arts Centre in Armagh.

The quartet of entertainers also appeared on the Gerry Kelly radio show at the BBC Radio Ulster studio in Belfast.

The tour was organised by Northern Ireland’s premier promotions company, David Hull Promotions, who are based in Belfast.

Jimmy Cricket and fellow entertainers

The show must go on… despite a bomb next door 150 150 mhamer

The show must go on… despite a bomb next door

Jimmy Cricket's latest column in the Preston-based Lancashire Evening Post

Jimmy Cricket has recalled the time that a pantomime in which he was starring went ahead despite the fact that a bomb had been planted next to the theatre.

The famous entertainer was appearing in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Grand Opera Theatre in Belfast at the time.

Looking back at the incident in 1992, Jimmy told the Lancashire Evening Post in his latest column for the Preston-based newspaper: “With the help of great architects and engineers, we got the theatre ready just in time for the pantomime, even though we had to get ready and change in portakabins!

“The fact the people from Northern Ireland didn’t want the terrorists to succeed meant we did sellout business all the way through.”

Book now to see Jimmy in action 150 150 mhamer

Book now to see Jimmy in action

Jimmy Cricket's shows in the first part of 2015

The first venue that famous comedian Jimmy Cricket will be visiting for his 2015 shows around the UK is the Plaza Theatre in Stockport on Sunday (25 January).

With the show scheduled for a 3pm start, there is the chance to have Sunday lunch with all the family, then go along to see him and laugh away the calories! Tickets are priced at £10 (£5 for under 16s).

Jimmy embarks on a tour of Northern Ireland with the You Must Be Joking show next week.

When the veteran entertainer visits the charming Lamproom Theatre in South Yorkshire during February, he will feature in a format that will afford the audience an opportunity to ask him a question, as he brings his Audience with show to the Barnsley region.

Jimmy’s trip to the Victoria Theatre in Halifax on 25 March will be part of a Music Hall show that his good friend, Neil Hurst, is organising.

And he is also looking forward to visiting Bexhill-on-Sea, where the team behind the Bexhill Festival of Music are organising the show he will headline in April.

All the other venues on the list shown above right will also present Jimmy’s Value for a Tenner show.

So if you live in one of the regions Jimmy will be visiting during the first half of 2015, do go along and see him in action.

Thanks to Ted Robbins for theatre sofa! 150 150 mhamer

Thanks to Ted Robbins for theatre sofa!

Jimmy Cricket's Christmas column in the Lancashire Evening Post

Jimmy Cricket talked in his latest newspaper column about how a gift to a theatre from an old friend helped him to relax in between panto performances during the festive season.

The famous Irish comedian said that when he first arrived at the Charter Theatre in Preston for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, he noticed a reclining sofa in his dressing room.

And he told readers in his most recent Lancashire Evening Post monthly column that he discovered it had been bequeathed by fellow entertainer and old chum Ted Robbins.

Jimmy also describes how BAE Systems employees and their families took over the first Saturday matinee performance of the pantomime.

He included a Christmas letter from his Mammy in his column, in which she talked about who gets what on the festive turkey and a nephew being arrested for picking blackberries in a computer shop.

Comedy show to return? You Must Be Joking! 150 150 mhamer

Comedy show to return? You Must Be Joking!

Jimmy is being reunited with fellow Northern Ireland comedians John Linehan (aka May McFetteridge), William Caulfield and Gene Fitzpatrick to create the You Must be Joking show that will tour Northern Ireland in early 2015

Jimmy Cricket is to be reunited with fellow Northern Ireland comedians John Linehan (aka May McFettridge), William Caulfield and Gene Fitzpatrick to produce the You Must Be Joking tour of the province in early 2015.

The event will see the recreation of a successful show that was part of the 2013 Cookstown Comedy Festival (above).

It featured all four comedians in one unique evening of comedy.

Famous entertainer Jimmy said: “As expected, the show was a complete sellout and it was always the plan to tour it around the province at some point in the future.

“With the tour dates now set, it is time to get those chuckle muscles flexed!”

The You Must Be Joking tour schedule:

Wed 28 January – Grand Opera House, Belfast
Thu 29 January – Theatre at the Mill, Newtownabbey
Sat 31 January – Millennium Theatre, Derry (Londonderry)
Sun 1 February – Market Place Theatre, Armagh

Jimmy is also squeezing in an additional date with his own stand-up show, which is scheduled for Friday 30 January at the Ranfurly Arts Centre in Dungannon.

This extra date will see Jimmy visit the county from where he hails, as he was born down the road from Dungannon in the town of Cookstown in County Tyrone.

Panto gets perfect lift-off 150 150 mhamer

Panto gets perfect lift-off

Jimmy Cricket gets front page coverage ahead of his latest pantomime at the Charter Theatre in PrestonJimmy Cricket’s latest pantomime received great coverage at its recent media launch.

The famous Northern Irish entertainer will be appearing in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Charter Theatre in Preston – where he made his panto debut in 1981 – over the Christmas and New Year period.

Back then, the Rochdale-based funnyman figured in a version of a contemporary pantomime called Robinson Crusoe in Outer Space when he was described as “Britain’s fastest rising TV comedian”.

Ahead of his 27th pantomime season, Jimmy had top billing (above right) on the front page of the 2 September edition of the Preston-based Lancashire Evening Post.

Jimmy Cricket and fellow cast members ahead of his latest pantomime at the Charter Theatre in Preston, featured in the Lancashire Evening Post

Inside the newspaper was a two-page spread (left) featuring photographs of all the cast who had assembled for the media launch.

On his arrival in Preston, he will be reunited with the creative team who produced last Christmas’s record -breaking version of Snow White at the Forum Theatre in Billingham, with some of the cast having also been retained.

Jimmy said: “With the nights drawing in and the leaves starting to turn golden, it won’t be long before it is panto time again.

“So it was great to see the local Preston media receive so well the announcement of Snow White at the Charter Theatre. This has got the show off to a great start and I’m looking forward to my return trip to Preston later in the year when the pantomime season starts fully!”

* Jimmy is writing a monthly column for the Lancashire Evening Post in the lead-up to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Charter Theatre in Preston.

Jimmy to have monthly newspaper column 150 150 mhamer

Jimmy to have monthly newspaper column

Jimmy Cricket gets front page coverage ahead of his latest pantomime at the Charter Theatre in PrestonJimmy Cricket is to write a monthly newspaper column in the lead-up to his latest pantomime season.

The Lancashire Evening Post has commissioned the articles to coincide with the well-known comedian headlining Snow White and the Seven Dwarves at the Charter Theatre in Preston – where he made his panto debut in 1981 – over the Christmas and New Year period.

When the Lancashire Evening Post contacted Jimmy through his website editor Martin Hamer – former digital editor at the LEP – about the idea, he thought it was a “very flattering request”.

Jimmy said: “As a result, I did not hesitate to respond positively and am thrilled that my first monthly article is due to be published in the paper’s edition on Monday (22 September).”

He intends to use the article to describe some of the many stories he has collected from more than 30 years of performing in pantomimes.

This includes appearing in many of the major cities and towns across the UK and has also included working with a variety of celebrities from stage and screen.

Added Jimmy: “Hopefully the monthly articles will set the scene for my forthcoming appearance in Snow White at the Charter Theatre at the end of the year.”