Posts Tagged :

cricket jimmy

A pleasure working for showbiz legend & friend 150 150 mhamer

A pleasure working for showbiz legend & friend

Always a pleasure working for showbiz Legend and friend, Mr Johnny Manns, (in conjunction with Barbara Lindsey), alongside my other friend and musical arranger David Carter, with fellow pro’s Con and Dec, “The Bachelors” tonight at the Ivy Leaf Club!

Jimmy Cricket worked again recently with someone he describes as a “showbiz legend”.

The Northern Irish comedian was performing on a show at the Ivy Leaf Club in Whittlesey, Peterborough on Friday 19 October, which was organised by Johnny Mans and his production team in association with Barbara Lindsey.

Jimmy, 73, posted on social media: “Always a pleasure working for showbiz Legend and friend, Mr Johnny Mans, (in conjunction with Barbara Lindsey), alongside my other friend and musical arranger David Carter, with fellow pros Con and Dec, “The Bachelors” tonight at the Ivy Leaf Club!”

Johnny is the third generation of a showbiz family with his grandfather being a Yorkshire comedian and his grandmother a dancer with the Tiller Girls, a popular dance troupe famous for their high-kicking routines and who once counted former House Of Commons Speaker Baroness Boothroyd as a member.

His mother also became a Tiller Girl, as well as being a pantomime producer and a dance school teacher. Johnny’s six sisters were professional dancers, one of them touring with Arthur Lucan (Old Mother Riley) and another in Kirby’s Flying Ballet.

Johnny performed in his mother’s pantomime productions from the age of eight and after several years he developed his own comedy act and became one of the famous Carroll Levis discoveries, appearing on television from the Aston Studios in Birmingham.

Over the years Johnny appeared in theatres with star names of that era, including the famous American comedy duo The Bernard Brothers.

He also worked with Derek Roy, Jimmy Young, Marty Wilde, Ronnie Hilton and for a while joined the holiday camp world, first as a Redcoat and then a short spell as a Bluecoat, becoming an entertainment manager at the age of just 21.

The world of clubland also beckoned and he performed throughout the UK. After five summer seasons in Jersey in various productions, he eventually turned his hand to producing his own shows, being an agent and manager and also a concert promoter.

Since the early 1980s, he has been a prominent name in the entertainment world, having managed major stars such as Sir Norman Wisdom, Anne Shelton, Max Bygraves, Danny La Rue, Nicholas Parsons, Jon Pertwee and many other celebrities.

He has also produced and promoted shows for big names such as Des O’Connor, Cilla Black, The Platters, Bob Monkhouse, Val Doonican, Suzi Quatro, Little & Large, Tom O’Connor, John Inman and Dame Vera Lynn.

In 2009 he took over Encore magazine, printed every two months for the entertainment industry.

Charity is also a major part of Johnny’s life and over the past 40 years he has been involved with many fundraising organisations, including the Entertainment Artistes’ Benevolent Fund (now the Royal Variety Charity), the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and the British Heart Foundation.

Johnny, who is also a family man, has produced shows at Buckingham Palace in the company of several members of the Royal Family.

Sales of first live DVD approach 8,000 mark 150 150 mhamer

Sales of first live DVD approach 8,000 mark

Sales of Jimmy Cricket’s first live DVD are approaching 8,000.

Jimmy Cricket Live - Pull Your Seats Forward

Jimmy Cricket Live – Pull Your Seats Forward was created by the famous comedian’s family company, Wellie Boot Productions, in 2010.

Belfast-born Jimmy produced the DVD in response to the overwhelming public clamour that suggested there was a real demand for a recording of his stand-up entertainment.

It was filmed at the Royal Court Theatre in Bacup, Lancashire, near Jimmy’s adopted home of Rochdale in Greater Manchester.

The DVD is an hour and 10 minutes long and includes Jimmy’s favourite routines, a phone call and letter from his mammy, his famous Leaving Home poem, his sentimental ballad called I’m Dreaming of a Far off Land and 20 minutes of extras.

The sales figure is particularly impressive as the DVD is not available in retail outlets: it can only be bought via the Go Shopping page on this website or at one of his live shows.

Jimmy said: “Just coming up to 8,000 sales on my DVD, Pull your seats forward. A big thank you to all those people who have bought one. As they’re not on general release, it means those who got one at my show got a handshake and those that went through my website got a personal letter.”

Above is an edited version of a trailer of Jimmy Cricket live at the Royal Court Theatre in Bacup. Journalist and Cricket Times editor Martin Hamer asks Jimmy all about the show in an interview which includes exclusive excerpts from the DVD. The full longer version of the interview can be viewed below.

‘Elvis Presley’ performs at special birthday party 150 150 mhamer

‘Elvis Presley’ performs at special birthday party

Great night celebrating Carolyn Topham’s, “Special Birthday”, @TheBrassBandClub Clitheroe with family and friends and with my thanks to fellow act Jim Nicholas for his Elvis impersonation!

Jimmy Cricket teamed up with “Elvis Presley” for a special birthday party in Lancashire recently.

The famous entertainer performed at the Billington & Whalley Brass Band Club in Clitheroe, along with good friend and Elvis impersonator Jim Nicholas.

Jimmy, 72, posted on social media channel Twitter afterwards: “Great night celebrating Carolyn Topham’s “Special Birthday” @TheBrassBandClub Clitheroe with family and friends and with my thanks to fellow act Jim Nicholas for his Elvis impersonation! ?

* Jimmy’s first play, No more Fiffing and Faffing, is being staged at the Blackburn Empire Theatre tomorrow (Sunday, 16 September) at 7.30pm.

Read more about the play here.

 

Comic-turned-priest Fr Frankie’s inspiring story 150 150 mhamer

Comic-turned-priest Fr Frankie’s inspiring story

Frankie Mulgrew, the younger son of comedian Jimmy Cricket, followed in his father’s footsteps in comedy – until a battle with depression ultimately led to him becoming a priest.

Frankie was captivated by a love of the stage and entertainment as a child and was a stand-up comedian known as Frankie Doodle.

But he suffered with depression around the age of 18 and it led him eventually to become a priest after realising the healing power of the Catholic religion.

Fr Mulgrew, 41, has told his inspiring story to the Lancashire Evening Post newspaper, where dad Jimmy has a monthly column.

See the full article here

Frankie Mulgrew

Fr Frankie Mulgrew

 

The Chase’s ‘Beast’ Mark Labbett is a gentle giant 150 150 mhamer

The Chase’s ‘Beast’ Mark Labbett is a gentle giant

Jimmy Cricket's February column in the Lancashire Evening Post was about Mark 'The Beast' Labbett from ITV's The Chase

Jimmy Cricket’s latest column in the Lancashire Evening Post was about Mark ‘The Beast’ Labbett from TV’s The Chase.

Famous Northern Irish entertainer Jimmy performed with Mark in pantomime in Ellesmere Port and Rochdale during the last festive season.

Mark  is a ‘Chaser’ on the ITV teatime game show The Chase, which is hosted by Bradley Walsh.

He began the role in 2009 and he has since appeared on the American version as their sole Chaser in 2013 as well as being one of six Chasers in the Australian series. He has also appeared in several other television quiz shows and is a regular in quizzing competitions.

His TV nickname ‘The Beast’ is a reference to both his stature (he’s 6ft 6in tall) and his surname – Labbett sounds like the French ‘la bête’, meaning ‘the beast’.

In his February LEP column, Jimmy told how during the time the panto was in Rochdale, Mark hosted a weekly quiz in The Flying Horse Hotel in the town and then in Ellesmere Port, ended up calling out a few games of bingo at a nearby Mecca hall!

On both occasions, Mark declined a fee and instead arranged for himself and the cast to have a meal courtesy of the two venues.

Added Jimmy: “All thanks to big Mark, our gentle giant with the big heart!”.

 

‘I was thrilled to perform in panto in Rochdale’ 150 150 mhamer

‘I was thrilled to perform in panto in Rochdale’

Jimmy Cricket tweeted he was thrilled in appear in a pantomime in his adopted hometown of Rochdale

Jimmy Cricket said he was thrilled in appear in a pantomime in his adopted home town of Rochdale.

Famous Northern Irish entertainer Jimmy played Professor Fitzwarren in Dick Whittington in both Ellesmere Port and in Rochdale.

Ellesmere Port Civic Centre staged the show until 20 December and Rochdale’s Gracie Fields Theatre from 22-31 December.

The panto also featured The Chase’s Mark Labbett (known as The Beast), who played King Rat.

Jimmy tweeted: “What a thrill it was to play panto in my adopted home town of Rochdale, at the Gracie Fields Theatre. I ‘d like to thank all my friends and neighbours for supporting their local Theatre.”

The 72-year-old comedian also posted his thanks to everyone involved in the production of the panto, including his “wonderful” fellow cast members.

Jimmy Cricket tweeted his thanks to everyone involved in the panto

Jimmy Cricket praises sets for Christmas pantos 150 150 mhamer

Jimmy Cricket praises sets for Christmas pantos

Dick WhittingtonJimmy Cricket has praised the sets for the pantos he is appearing in over the festive season.

Famous Northern Irish entertainer Jimmy plays Professor Fitzwarren in Dick Whittington, which opens in his adopted hometown of Rochdale on Friday (22 December).

Ellesmere Port Civic Centre staged the show until Wednesday and Rochdale’s Gracie Fields Theatre will now host it up to New Year’s Eve (22-31 December).

The panto also features The Chase’s Mark Labbett (also known as The Beast), who plays King Rat.

Jimmy tweeted that the sets were “some of the best I have worked with over the years!”.

Dick Whittington panto details