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Dick Whittington panto opens in Ellesmere Port 150 150 mhamer

Dick Whittington panto opens in Ellesmere Port

All the panto cast members, including Jimmy Cricket, had lunch at The Flying Horse in RochdaleThe pantomime in which Jimmy Cricket is performing this festive season had its first show this weekend.

Famous Northern Irish entertainer Jimmy plays Professor Fitzwarren in that old favourite Dick Whittington in both Ellesmere Port and his adopted hometown of Rochdale.

Ellesmere Port Civic Centre will stage the show until Wednesday (20 December) and Rochdale’s Gracie Fields Theatre from Friday until New Year’s Eve (22-31 December).

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

All the cast members had a pre-panto lunch at The Flying Horse pub restaurant in Rochdale town centre. The venue was the Rochdale, Oldham & Bury pub of the year 2016.

Dick Whittington panto details

Performing alongside The Chase’s Mark Labbett in Dick Whittington panto 150 150 mhamer

Performing alongside The Chase’s Mark Labbett in Dick Whittington panto

panto_dick_whittington

Jimmy Cricket retweeted a social media post about the press launch of the panto in which he will be appearing over the 2017 festive season.

The famous Northern Irish entertainer will be playing Professor Fitzwarren in that old favourite Dick Whittington in both Ellesmere Port and his adopted hometown of Rochdale.

The details for both pantos are below:

Dick Whittington panto details

The panto will also feature The Chase’s Mark Labbett (also known as The Beast and can be seen in the middle of the photo at the top of the page), who will play King Rat.

Ellesmere Port Civic Centre will stage the show from 16 to 20 December and Rochdale’s Gracie Fields Theatre from 22-31 December.

Jimmy’s retweet on the press launch is below:

The tweet about Dick Whittington

Ex-Corrie actress takes part in Rochdale show 150 150 mhamer

Ex-Corrie actress takes part in Rochdale show

Jimmy Cricket

A former Coronation Street actress was among the performers in a parish centre show hosted by much-loved entertainer Jimmy Cricket.

Sue Devaney (below right) has played various roles on British television, including Debbie Webster in Corrie, Rita Briggs in Jonny Briggs, Liz Harker in Casualty and Jane in Dinnerladies.

Local, national and sometimes international entertainers perform for nothing at the monthly event, which takes place at St Vincent’s RC Parish Centre in Norden, Rochdale.

Sue Devaney

Also on the bill was singer John from J & D Alexander Jewellers in the Greater Manchester town of Rochdale, where Belfast-born Jimmy has lived for many years.

A collection is made for a charitable cause usually decided on the jam night, with the Sudden Community Centre, based on Cheltenham Street in Rochdale, the beneficiary on this occasion.

The centre has been established in the community through various forms since August 1991.

Since its inception, it has helped thousands of local residents empower themselves to a more dignified and fulfilling life through many of the programmes offered there.

Their mission is for local residents to be members of a vibrant and sustainable community who manage and control their future through the improvement of their own living and working environment.

Emphasis is on empowerment through education, enterprise, and lifelong learning and training opportunities for all.

The centre delivers community-based training and support for local residents, particularly those who are hard to reach and face barriers to accessing information, advice and guidance and progression to employment, training and education.

‘Man in wellies & battered hat saves the day’ 150 150 mhamer

‘Man in wellies & battered hat saves the day’

Jimmy Cricket's latest column in the Lancashire Evening Post

Jimmy Cricket has been reminiscing about the era of the comedy song and how he hopes he has helped keep it alive.

In his latest column for the Preston-based Lancashire Evening Post, the famous entertainer recalls “the many comedy and novelty songs that used to permeate the airwaves in the 50s and 60s”.

He adds: “Commercial radio stations all have playlists now. This means they only play songs that appeal to younger audiences , which companies who advertise with them deem to be possible customers. That’s how the commercial radio stations make their money.

Jimmy Cricket's Light & Shade

“However, you can still hear comedy and novelty songs on BBC radio stations, especially on their request shows.

“However, fear not dear readers.

“Just when you thought the comedy song was a footnote in the history of popular music, along comes the man in the wellies and the battered hat to save the day!

“Yes, my new CD called Light & Shade contains gems like ‘my budgie’s been tweeting for years’ and ‘I got blotto when I thought I’d won the lotto’.”

Light & Shade was officially released on 1 February and is available for £6 at www.jimmycricketshop.co.uk and at Jimmy’s live shows.

In the inside sleeve, Jimmy talks about the history behind the CD, which features a mixture of serious and comedy songs.

New CD gives listeners ‘a few surprises’ 150 150 mhamer

New CD gives listeners ‘a few surprises’

Jimmy Cricket's Light & Shade

Jimmy Cricket says he has tried to give people who buy his latest musical CD “a few surprises”.

Light & Shade was officially released on 1 February and is available for £6 at www.jimmycricketshop.co.uk and at Jimmy’s live shows.Jimmy Cricket's new CD is called Light & Shade

The inside sleeve has the following message from the famous entertainer, in which he talks about the history behind the CD, which features a mixture of serious and comedy songs.

 Hiya Folks,

It’s me Jimmy, come closer!

I was asked to write something for this sleeve, so I thought I would do something off the cuff. Get it!

These are the songs I’ve written and performed at my little ‘Jimmy and friends’ nights which I’ve done at St Vincent’s parochial hall in Rochdale over the last few years.

When I do shows I like to give the audience a few surprises and I’ve tried to do the same with this CD.

Sure there’ll be comedy songs that you would associate with Jimmy Cricket, but I’ve also thrown a few serious ones in too! So whether you’re listening in the car, at home, or walking along with your earphones, I hope there is something there for you.

I’d like to mention two people who‘ve been the bedrock of this CD.

Firstly, musical arranger David Carter, whose god given talent enables him to breathe life into my tunes and words.

And record producer Chris Warsop, who has worked tirelessly and painstakingly over the last six months in making sure we had a quality product at the end.

To them I am eternally grateful, as indeed to you for buying it.

ENJOY!

Jimmy Cricket 7th November 2014

From Muddles to Milton Keynes (slideshow) 150 150 mhamer

From Muddles to Milton Keynes (slideshow)

 

Jimmy Cricket returned to action after his festive pantomime spell with  a show in Milton Keynes.

The well-known entertainer appeared at the Lovat Fields Retirement Village in Milton Keynes, which is part of a national chain run by the Extra Care organisation. Jimmy has appeared at some of their other sites over the years in St Helens, Warrington and Coventry.

This particular visit was organised by Mary Cooper, who is one of the residents at Lovat Fields and is involved in helping to arrange the entertainment programme. A big thanks to Mary for also sending in the slideshow photos of the night.

Jimmy said: “This was my first show after the Christmas pantomime season.

“It came after what is a traditional annual break for me during January, so it was wonderful to return to stand-up after four weeks of being Muddles in Snow White and to entertain at such a hospitable place with a wonderful audience!”

* Click on either of the arrow buttons above to view the slideshow.

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.