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grand opera house belfast

Wonderful, warm audience for Northern Ireland tour opener 150 150 mhamer

Wonderful, warm audience for Northern Ireland tour opener

I’ll be doing a three-day theatre tour of Northern Ireland with my fellow Irish comedians: Roy Walker, Adrian Walsh, Gene Fitzpatrick and George Jones

Jimmy Cricket and three fellow Irish comedians are currently in the middle of a three-day Northern Ireland tour.

The funny quartet, which also includes Roy Walker, Adrian Walsh and Gene Fitzpatrick, performed at the McNeill Theatre in Larne last night (21 March).

Jimmy said afterwards on social media: “What a wonderful, warm audience for our first night of our tour for @DavidHullPromo at the McNeill Theatre in Larne with funny men, fellow comics, @Gene17Eugene@adrianvwalsh and @RoyWalkerLegend and the great showband ‘Clubsound’ with Geordie Jones.”

Photos and video of the event can be found on Jimmy’s X (formerly Twitter) account.

The next show takes place tonight (Friday 22 March) at the Grand Opera House in Belfast.

And then tomorrow the funny four will perform at the Riverside Theatre in Coleraine.

The David Hull Promotions website says: “Northern Ireland has produced some great comedy acts.

“In an evening of classic comedy we have some of the finest: Roy Walker of Catchphrase fame, Jimmy Cricket ‘Come Here There’s More’, Gene Fitzpatrick ‘the star of the County Down’ and the comedy master that is Adrian Walsh.

“Musical accompaniment and laughter from the comedy showband legends Clubsound.”

 Go here to book tickets for either of the remaining two Northern Ireland shows.

Want to see one of Jimmy’s gigs? They are all listed here.

‘Belfast’s Grand Opera House was place to be’ 150 150 mhamer

‘Belfast’s Grand Opera House was place to be’

Jimmy Cricket performed as usual with fellow Ulster comedians, John Linehan (aka May McFettridge), Gene Fitzpatrick and William Caulfield

Jimmy Cricket returned to his home town of Belfast to take part in another successful show with some old friends and comedy colleagues.

The famous entertainer, who has now lived in Rochdale for many years, performed with fellow Ulster comedians, John Linehan (aka May McFettridge), Gene Fitzpatrick and William Caulfield as part of the You Must Be Joking tour of Ireland.

And Jimmy later thanks writer Sean Hillen for his glowing review of the show.

He posted on Twitter: “Thank you to for the lovely write up of the show last Saturday night with John, Gene, William and myself!”

Sean began his article by saying: “If you were in the mood for a dose of old-fashioned, clean-as-a-whistle, stand-up comedy – not the ‘modern’ version laden with swear words – then Belfast’s historic Grand Opera House was the place to be this week.

“Aptly entitled ‘You Must Be Joking,’ four of Northern Ireland’s most experienced comedians took to the stage and offered up a non-stop series of gags, impersonations and light-hearted songs that easily curried the audience’s favor.”

And he finished the piece with: “My favorite act of the evening was the last one, James Mulgrew, best known as Jimmy Cricket. Appearing in his trademark outfit of cut-off evening trousers, dinner jacket, hat and Wellington boots marked ‘L’ and ‘R’ for left and right, but worn on the wrong feet, his routine was a fast-moving, gag-a-minute, focusing on his unique interpretation of Irish logic.”

Johnny Vegas to also feature in film 150 150 mhamer

Johnny Vegas to also feature in film

Johnny Vegas is appearing in the Womble film

Famous actor and comedian Johnny Vegas is to appear in the Womble movie, which is being filmed on location in North Wales and also features entertainer Jimmy Cricket. 

St Helens-born Johnny is well known for his appearances in the hit ITV comedy drama Benidorm and also for popping up in adverts for tea brand PG Tips with a stuffed puppet monkey!

His addition to the cast is another major coup for the people behind Womble the movie, as it also includes top comedian Jimmy, 69, who will play himself as a talent contest judge.

The film is about a man called Aloysius Rupert Womble (played by actor and comedian Tom Spencer), who is in his 30s and living with Asperger’s Syndrome in a typical seaside resort town.

Children and adults affected by Asperger’s Syndrome have difficulty with social interactions and exhibit a restricted range of interests and/or repetitive behaviours.

Aloysius’s dream is to become a stand-up comedian. The film is a week-long snapshot of his life as he goes through the trials of living with a cognitive disorder, while dealing with the injustices forced upon him by society and parts of his community.

Over the seven-day period he prepares for the biggest night of his life – a talent show in his local pub.

The film will feature songs from the Beautiful South’s former lead singer Briana Corrigan and American Pie star Thomas Nicholas, as well as a string of original songs written by songwriters especially for the movie.

My movie debut – as a dream maker 150 150 mhamer

My movie debut – as a dream maker

Jimmy Cricket's column in the Lancashire Evening Post

Jimmy Cricket says he is looking forward to his role as a talent show judge on his  forthcoming silver screen debut.

But the famous veteran entertainer insists he will not be like Simon Cowell in The X Factor, telling readers of the Preston-based Lancashire Evening Post in his monthly column he will be a “dream maker, not a dream breaker”.

Womble, one of the biggest independent movies to be made in North Wales, is being shot over the summer and will be set for release in 2016.

It is about a man called Aloysius Rupert Womble (played by actor and comedian Tom Spencer) who is in his 30s and living with Asperger’s Syndrome in a typical seaside resort town.

Children and adults affected by Asperger’s Syndrome have difficulty with social interactions and exhibit a restricted range of interests and/or repetitive behaviours.

Aloysius’s dream is to become a stand-up comedian. The film is a week-long snapshot of his life as he goes through the trials of living with a cognitive disorder, while dealing with the injustices forced upon him by society and parts of his community.

Over the seven-day period he prepares for the biggest night of his life – a talent show in his local pub.

Jimmy says in the Lancashire Evening Post: “Hopefully, the film will be shown in 2016 at the Cannes Film Festival.”

The time I nearly met a footballing legend 150 150 mhamer

The time I nearly met a footballing legend

Jimmy Cricket talks about how he nearly met the late Sir Tom Finney in his latest Lancashire Evening Post newspaper column

Jimmy Cricket recalls in his latest newspaper column the time he nearly met a footballing legend.

The well-known comedian says in the Lancashire Evening Post that he was asked to do the corporate entertainment a few years ago at Deepdale, home of Preston North End for whom Sir Tom Finney made 473 competitive appearances, scoring 210 goals.

Tony Jo, a friend and fellow comedian, said during the evening that he would go and get Sir Tom so Jimmy could meet him.

However, Sir Tom was not feeling too well and had to go home early.

Jimmy recalls: “My big moment to meet a remarkable man and footballer, who had done so much for his home town of Preston, had gone.”

Sir Tom, who scored 30 goals in 76 appearances for England, died 12 months ago aged 91.

 

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.”