One superbly expanded role was that of the old King Leopold, played with assured silliness by Richard Croxford. He's been in bed for four years since being widowed, doesn't wash much and has to be persuaded to act. Now 77, the Tyrone-born performer is celebrating 50 years as a professional comedian with the launch of his autobiography - Memoirs of an Irish Comedian - in which he “counts his blessings” and never forgets the people that helped him achieve his dreams. I'm still here. God didn't want me and the devil was afraid of me. Something like that, it changes your perception - it was a different ball game."

SHE may be celebrating her 30th anniversary treading the boards at Belfast's Grand Opera House, but this year's pantomime offers a new challenge for Dame May McFettridge. As I spend all year performing alone, I really enjoying working as part of a team. I've been going to the Forum for so long now and the musicians, crew and front-of-house staff are like a family and I'm really going to miss them this Christmas,” says 61-year-old Lurgan-born comedian Caulfield. I was watching telly and went to stand up and couldn't move my leg. Then the other leg wouldn't move.”

Réalta – Live from The Market Place Theatre: Réalta take a lively, exciting and respectful approach to Irish traditional music at this must-visit event. Reared on a staple diet of The Bothy Band, Planxty and other such classics, this big-name band captures the timeless aspects of the tradition and presents it in its raw form – fresh and beautiful. While he will miss the festive atmosphere in Derry, Caulfield has decided to make the most of being at home this Christmas.

In the 60s, Billy Butlin owned them and they all had a custom-built theatre with an orchestra, it was magical,” enthuses Jimmy, who never lost his broad Belfast accent. Linehan invented the name and the character by ad libbing— the first name being that of his mother-in-law and the surname being that of an Antrim hurler by the name of Olcan McFettridge, whose exploits in a National Hurling League game had made headlines in the local newspaper, The Irish News, which happened to be beside Linehan when put on the spot. Who wouldn’t want to have their hand read by May McFettridge? Promoting her next show, a comedy titled Happy Medium, opening at the Alley Theatre in Strabane on April 13 then running at the Grand Opera House on April 18-22 followed by a tour.THE pantomime de choix this year is Cinderella, with two versions entertaining us in different ways. It's not hard to work out why the story of the girl in rags consigned to kitchen work resonates with a society faced with austerity. All my Dame characters are based on the original Lily O' Chondriac from The James Young era. She'll have a twinkle in her eye, so if there is an unattached male in the show she will become very interested,” laughs the actor, whose other work as a performing stand-up on cruise ships all over the world has also been scuppered by Coronavirus since spring. This Cinderella is a comic outing in the main, even though the story is uber-romantic. So we saw Buttons, the Prince and Cinders upending each other on a wall and doing a comedy routine which undercut the passion.

John has been married to Brenda for 43 years. They have two daughters, Donna (40) and Kerry (35), and three grandchildren. Brenda loves May McFettridge and isn't at all fazed by him dressing up as an acid-tongued old lady for laughs. As well as his faith, Jimmy is thankful for the support of his wife of 49 years, May, his daughter Katie, who has done stand-up and is an award-winning playwright, his son Dale, a hospice events fundraiser, daughter Jamie, who is a teacher in America, and son Frankie a parish priest in Salford.The Grand Opera House pantomime is staged by Olivier award-winning producer Michael Harrison on behalf of Crossroads Pantomimes, the biggest pantomime producer in the world. Michael also produces The London Palladium’s pantomimes, and his current show, The Wizard of Oz, is enjoying a sell-out run at the venue before it embarks on a UK and Ireland tour, which includes a week at the Grand Opera House in May 2024.