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Daughter Katie Mulgrew wins Kudos North award 150 150 mhamer

Daughter Katie Mulgrew wins Kudos North award

One of Jimmy Cricket’s daughters has won a prestigious award for her writing.

Katie Mulgrew

Katie Mulgrew (right), a writer and stand-up comedian from Rochdale, was one of three winners of the Northern Writers Award run by Kudos North, the Manchester-based production arm of Kudos.

The awards, run in conjunction with the BBC Writersroom, were launched in October 2017 to identify and nurture emerging northern voices. Judges were so overwhelmed by the standard of entries that three, rather than the previously stipulated two, winners were selected.

The trio each receive a £2,000 prize to get an idea developed with mentorship from acclaimed northern writers Danny Brocklehurst and Stephen Butchard.

Katie had her first full-length play, Omnibus, staged at the Liverpool Unity Theatre in 2017. She has written for BBC Radio 4’s Newsquiz and script-edited the award-winning short film Ctrl Z.

Katie Mulgrew was one of three winners of the Kudos North award

Proud dad Jimmy said on social media channel Twitter: “Congratulations to my daughter Katie who has won this prestigious award as a talented writer!”

The other two award winners were Niki Rooney, a writer from Glasgow who has written extensively for Hollyoaks (C4) and tween drama Ride (Nickelodeon), and Helen Black, an author from Pontefract in West Yorkshire who has six published books in her Lily Valentine series alongside a new fiction series called Taking Liberties.

Laura Conway, Development Producer at Kudos North, said: “I am thrilled to find three fabulous Northern voices who are new to both Kudos and the BBC Writersroom.

“The level of work was extremely high which made the decision near impossible but Katie, Helen and Niki all expressed clear, urgent visions for their pitches and created characters which stayed with me long after the judging day.

“Championing top talent is what this award is all about and to find three exceptional, female writers is genuinely exciting – I can’t wait to get cracking on development.”

From 300 scripts received, 23 were invited to submit a one-page pitch for a TV drama series idea. These were read by judges and whittled down to six, which were invited to BBC Media City in Manchester to pitch their idea to a panel including Ayela Butt, BBC Drama Co –Commissioner, Anne Edyvean, Head of the BBC Writersroom, Sarah Stack, Head of Development at Kudos and Laura Conway Development Producer at Kudos North.

The winners will now be given one-on-one support by Kudos North in developing their idea before presenting to BBC commissioner Mona Qureshi and co-commissioner Ayela Butt.

‘Excited’ to see Guys and Dolls in Manchester! 150 150 mhamer

‘Excited’ to see Guys and Dolls in Manchester!

Jimmy Cricket attended Guys and Dolls at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester

Famous entertainer Jimmy Cricket went to see one of his favourite musicals in Manchester recently.

The 72-year-old comedian watched Guys and Dolls at the Royal Exchange Theatre earlier this month.

Guys and Dolls started at the Exchange on 2 December last year and finishes on 3 February.

Jimmy posted on social media channel Twitter that he was “excited” to be at the Royal Exchange to enjoy one of his all-time favourite musicals.

Show for Francis House raises a ‘handsome sum’ 150 150 mhamer

Show for Francis House raises a ‘handsome sum’

Jimmy Cricket with Jim Nicholas and Canon McBride

A charity show in Salford featuring famous comedian Jimmy Cricket raised a “handsome sum” for Francis House Children’s Hospice.

Jimmy Cricket's wife May Marion with Canon Tony McBride

The event was held at St Peter’s & St Paul’s Parish Centre in Eccles at the end of April.

Jimmy performs each year in about eight shows across the Greater Manchester region to raise money for the hospice, which is located in South Manchester.

Each performance also features his wife May Marion singing, with Jim Nicholas completing the line-up with his Cliff’s Disco outfit.

Above, Jimmy is pictured with Jim Nicholas and Canon McBride, whose parish centre was where the show was hosted. Right, Canon McBride is with May.

Other fundraising events to come will take place at St Patrick’s Social Centre, Collyhurst in Manchester on Friday October 9 and St Mary’s Parish Centre in Denton on Wednesday October 21.

Jimmy Cricket agrees digital download deal 150 150 mhamer

Jimmy Cricket agrees digital download deal

Jimmy Cricket has agreed a deal with Townsend Records
Jimmy Cricket has formed a new partnership with an independent record store, whose clients include singer-songwriter Noel Gallagher, entertainer Mike Harding and folk band Houghton Weavers.

The well-known Northern Irish comedian has agreed for Townsend Records, who are based in Great Harwood near Blackburn in Lancashire,  to exclusively provide and manage a new digital store, where downloads of all four of his CD titles can be obtained – both as a full album or as individual tracks.

This means that his two comedy CDs – Best of Jimmy Cricket and Jimmy Cricket – Bee in his Bonnet – and his two music CDs, Jimmy Cricket – I’m dreaming of a far off land and Jimmy Cricket – Light & Shade, are now available to purchase in a digital format online.

Each individual track can be downloaded at a cost of 99p each, with each full album priced at £9.99 per download.

Jimmy’s new online store can be found at http://jimmycricket.tmstor.es/

Jimmy Cricket & co a hit at golf club 150 150 mhamer

Jimmy Cricket & co a hit at golf club

Jimmy Cricket with Buzz Hawkins from the Bradshaws, and impressionist Johnny More

Jimmy Cricket will return to a golf club in north Manchester later this year following a recent successful charity show there.

The fundraising event, A Night with the Stars, took place at Blackley golf club and was in aid of the Red Cross and the Ebola crises appeal.

The fundraising event took place at Blackley golf club and was in aid of the Red Cross and the Ebola crises appeal

Jimmy graced the club alongside Buzz Hawkins from the Bradshaws, the impressionist Johnny More (all three are pictured above) and a host of other performers.

Tony Horsfield and Eric Devereux, both very good friends of Jimmy, were the organisers of the event.

It must have been a good night, as Jimmy has already been asked to return to the same venue for his own comedy evening that is being organised by the club captain and his entertainment team.

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.”