VARIETY MAGIC

JIMMY CRICKET

Comedian Jimmy Cricket was born in Cookstown, Northern Ireland, into an Irish family of four brothers and one sister, whose father was an undertaker.

He left school at sixteen and spent his first two years in the big wide world working at a betting shop, before graduating to the Butlin’s Holiday camp at Mosney, County Meath, for the Summer Season of 1966 working as a Red Coat for three meals a day and £6.00 a week!

The following two summers found him at the Butlins Holiday Camp at Clacton where he picked up more ideas and observations from fellow Redcoats and visiting artists. From this is started to put together a ‘patter’ act to make the customers smile at Irish Blarney.

Over the next few years Jimmy, by then living in the city of Manchester, spent the long days between infrequent engagements as a door-to-door salesman around the pubs and clubs of the North, but as he says himself ‘I wasn’t very successful as everybody I knew had a door.’ However, in the summer of 1972 he changed the colour of his summer jacket, becoming a Bluecoat at the Pontins Camps at Southport and Morecambe. This is where he met his future wife, May, who was then working at the camps as one half of an act called the Tweedie Sisters. Again he says to himself ‘When I bumped into her she was wearing a Halloween mask, it was love at first fright.’

Jimmy continued developing his character in the Northern Clubs. It was at this time that TV producers began to take note of this refreshing comic with the hilarious Irish logic. He reached the second finals of ‘Search for a Star’ and then appeared before HRH The Princess Margaret on the next night live for ITV’s Royal Gala Show ‘A Night of Hundred Stars’ from the National Theatre. This really set the ball rolling for him.

In the next few years Jimmy made regular guest spots on television and radio, culminating in his own TV series for Central Television and his own radio series for BBC Radio Two. In live performances word of mouth is everything and when people see his name outside a theatre they know they can bring not only their children but their aunts and granddads, confident in the knowledge that they’re going to see a first class show. His clean Irish humour also makes a refreshing change on the after-dinner circuit.

Recently Jimmy has just finished writing a Musical about the woes of a struggling lower division football team called ‘Give Me One Good Season’ which he hopes to launch over the next few months.

DON MACLEAN MBE

Don Maclean is one of Britain’s leading TV, Cabaret and After Dinner performers.

He first came to the public’s attention through his appearances on “Crackerjack” and “The Black & White Minstrel Show” which he hosted for three years on television and five years on stage.

He also hosted successful game shows such as “Mouthtrap” and “First Letter First”. He was a regular guest on “Celebrity Squares” and hosted three series of “Keen Types” for BBC 2. He also devised “The Cheapest Show on Telly” appearing alongside Lenny Henry. More recently he has hosted “Songs of Praise” for BBC Religious Broadcasting.

Radio has played a major part in Don’s career. BBC have featured him in his own series “Keep It Maclean” and “Maclean Up Britain”. He has been a regular team member on “Wits End”, team captain on “The Press Gang” and Quizmaster on “The Clever Dickathalon” which he also devised. He has also hosted three series of “Are You Sitting Comfortably”. In 2006 Don ended a fifteen year stint hosting his own programme on Radio 2. Entitled “Good Morning Sunday” it was an extremely popular mixture of music and interviews with a religious theme for Sunday listening.

He has appeared in six Royal Command Shows the latest being a Royal Gala for the Princess Royal. His 30th Anniversary in Show Business was marked with the award of a coveted Silver Heart from the Variety Club of Great Britain, and in 1997 Birmingham University conferred upon him an Honoury Degree of Master of Arts.

In the 2001 Honours List he was made an MBE for services to religion and inter faith relations, and on June 7th 2003 he was invested as a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre at Southwark Roman Catholic Cathedral.

He has also added acting to his repertoire with a theatre tour of the play “Bedfull of Foreigners”. His co-star was Mandy Rice-Davies, and he can now rightfully claim to be the first Englishman ever to be paid to get into bed with MRD. Well he would wouldn’t he?

He toured with the Paul Elliot farce “No Place Like A Home” during 2007. A comedy based on a retirement home for show business performers.

Now one of Britain’s most experienced panto performers, Don has appeared in 35 productions, the last 12 as “Dame”

In 1984 Don achieved a lifelong ambition when he passed his Private Pilots license. He has his own aircraft (G-DON) which he flies at every opportunity, and whenever passengers question his flying ability, eagerly points out that a good pilot is any pilot who has had the same amount of landings as take-offs. His flying has proved a useful addition to his other great interest, the First World War in the Air. His autobiography aptly named “Flying High” is published by Hodder Headline as is his latest book “Closer to Heaven”

Don has been married to Toni for over 40 years. They have two children: Rachel who is married to Guy has presented them with two granddaughters, Gracie and Francesca, while Rory a teacher is married to Mel. They have recently produced baby Noah to carry on the “MacLean” name.

DANA

She's back! After some 15 years away from the stage whilst working tirelessly for peace, Christian family values and respect for life, as a Member of European Parliament, this Irish chart-topper is once again on tour to delight her legions of fans.

As Ireland’s first winner of the prestigious Eurovision Song Contest, she beat out internationally recognised singers such as Julio Iglesias of Spain with the song All Kinds of Everything. The Derry school girl became an overnight singing star, and was launched into a successful music career with a number one record throughout Europe. Years of recording success followed with chart-topping albums and single-records. Additionally, DANA continued to gain notoriety as a television personality on major domestic and international programs, including her own hit series, A Day Out with Dana (BBC), Wake Up Sunday (BBC), and the Dana Series (RTE).

November of 2007 marked an exciting time for Dana as she released her long-awaited autobiography, All Kinds of Everything, which is now available in Ireland through DS Music Productions, and will be made available elsewhere in the near future - more release details to come. Dana is currently recording an exciting new television series for EWTN.