Posts Tagged :

clacton and frinton gazette

Don Maclean: Good things like my old pal are timeless 150 150 mhamer

Don Maclean: Good things like my old pal are timeless

Don Maclean made his latest appearnace at the West Cliff Theatre in August

Jimmy Cricket has paid tribute to his fellow funnyman and great friend Don Maclean who is still going strong at the age of 75.

Don is an English actor and comedian who appeared on the BBC television series Crackerjack with the likes of Michael Aspel in the 1970s.

He has appeared regularly at the West Cliff Theatre in Clacton-on-Sea over the years and headlined the summer show there last month.

Jimmy, 73, said: “While a Butlin Redcoat in Clacton in 1967, I went to the West Cliff Theatre to see the summer show. The star comedian was Don Maclean.

“In 2019 the Westcliff is still going strong and guess who the star comedian of their summer show is?.. Don Maclean. Good things are timeless.”

The Clacton and Frinton gazette said on 9 August: “Clacton’s West Cliff Theatre Summer Show has got off to a flying start in its 125th anniversary year.

Golden age of variety

“The theatre’s summer variety is the longest running continuous show in the country and this year the West Cliff pulled out all the stops to celebrate the anniversary, including pulling in variety star Don Maclean to headline.

“The comic, who shot to fame in the BBC’s Crackerjack in the 1970s, was clearly at home on the West Cliff stage, where he first topped the bill in 1967.

“His quick wit and humour are reminiscent of a golden age of variety, but his routines are still laugh out loud funny for all ages.

“Don has been a regular visitor to the West Cliff and he also went down a storm in the fabulous one-off 125 Show celebration earlier this year.”

Don had travelled up for the service from his home in Solihull when Jimmy was invested as a Knight of the Pontifical Order of St Gregory the Great several years ago.

The service took place at St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Rochdale in 2016. Don is himself a papal knight.

Story from the archives: Jimmy Cricket is appointed a papal knight

Jimmy opens theatre charity shop 150 150 mhamer

Jimmy opens theatre charity shop
Jimmy cuts the ribbons to open the new theatre charity shop

Jimmy cuts the ribbons to open the new theatre charity shop

Jimmy Cricket has had the honour of officially opening a theatre’s new charity shop.

The Irish funnyman is a patron of the West Cliff Theatre in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, along with fellow comedian Roy Hudd.

Jimmy has a soft spot for the venue, having done a couple of summer seasons there in the last five years, and so put on a show there recently as a fundraiser.

The newspaper article about Jimmy Cricket

The newspaper article about Jimmy Cricket

The theatre has lately had its council grant withdrawn, but benefited by approximately £1,000 from Jimmy’s show.

Jimmy said: “This was not the end of the story though.

“West Cliff Theatre decided to open a second-hand charity shop as part of its fundraising drive, along the lines of the usual ones associated with British Heart Foundation, Scope et al – there are a fair few of these in Rochdale.

“So I marked my latest visit to the town with a double strike: not just the show, but I was invited to officially open the theatre’s new charity shop. I duly performed the honours during the lunch hour and then performed at the theatre in the evening!

“Hopefully, my contribution to the two events will have helped in some small way to keeping the theatre going.”

Jimmy added: “I would like to pay tribute to the outgoing theatre manager, Mike Bareham, for all his hard work over the years. His commitment and dedication to the theatre have been magnificent.

Jimmy with Jennifer who posted the newspaper article on Facebook

Jimmy with Jennifer who posted the newspaper article on Facebook

“The new theatre manager is Andy Jeffrey who I have known for quite some time.

Jimmy with fans Erika and Anna in Clacton-on-Sea

Jimmy with fans Erika and Anna in Clacton-on-Sea

“This is because Andy worked at the Weston-super-Mare Playhouse when I did their pantomime a few years ago. Andy is about to take over the reins very shortly and this is an exciting new chapter for the theatre.

“He is steeped in theatrical know-how and already has some fresh ideas and new thinking as the theatre enters a phase where it will have to be more self-reliant in the future.”