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Puckoon
''Puckoon'' is a comic novel by Spike Milligan, first published in 1963. It is his first full-length novel, and only major fictional work. Set in 1924, it details the troubles brought to the fictional Irish village of Puckoon by the Partition of Ireland: the new border, due to the incompetence of the Boundary Commission, passes directly through the village, with most of the village placed in the independent Irish Free State, but with a significant portion to Northern Ireland. The protagonist of the novel is the feckless Dan Milligan, a man so lazy that the author is obliged to take direct action to prevent him spending the entire novel lounging about at home; thus alerted to his status as a fictional character, Dan frequently breaks the fourth wall, speaking directly to the writer about the trouble he has been made to endure. Adaptations An abridged audiobook version, read by the author, was released on LP and cassette. A film adaptation, written and directed by Terence Ryan, w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spike Milligan
Terence Alan "Spike" Milligan (16 April 1918 – 27 February 2002) was an Irish actor, comedian, writer, musician, poet, and playwright. The son of an English mother and Irish father, he was born in British Raj, British Colonial India, where he spent his childhood before relocating in 1931 to England, where he lived and worked for the majority of his life. Disliking his first name, he began to call himself "Spike" after hearing the band Spike Jones, Spike Jones and his City Slickers on Radio Luxembourg. Milligan was the co-creator, main writer, and a principal cast member of the British radio comedy programme ''The Goon Show'', performing a range of roles including the characters Eccles (character), Eccles and Minnie Bannister. He was the earliest-born and last surviving member of the Goons. He took his success with ''The Goon Show'' into television with ''Q... (TV series), Q5'', a surreal sketch show credited as a major influence on the members of ''Monty Python's Flying Circu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Attenborough
Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), as well as the life president of Chelsea FC. He joined the Royal Air Force during the Second World War and served in the film unit, going on several bombing raids over Europe and filming the action from the rear gunner's position. He was the older brother of broadcaster Sir David Attenborough and motor executive John Attenborough. He was married to actress Sheila Sim from 1945 until his death. As an actor, he is best remembered for his film roles in '' Brighton Rock'' (1948), ''I'm All Right Jack'' (1959), '' The Great Escape'' (1963), ''The Sand Pebbles'' (1966), ''Doctor Dolittle'' (1967), '' 10 Rillington Place'' (1971), '' Jurassic Park'' (1993), and ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1994). In 1952 he appeared on the West En ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sean Hughes (comedian)
Sean Hughes (10 November 1965 – 16 October 2017) was a British-born Irish comedian, writer and actor. He starred in his own Channel 4 television show ''Sean's Show'' and was one of the regular team captains on the BBC Two musical panel game ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks''. Early life Hughes was born the middle boy in a family of three boys in Whittington Hospital in North London. He had an older brother Alan and a younger brother Martin. He was born in Archway, London, Archway, London, but spent most of his youth in Firhouse, Dublin. His mother was from Cork (city), Cork, while his father was from Dublin; they first met on a London bus. His father worked in a telephone exchange and was also a driving instructor. At the age of six, Hughes moved to Dublin and lived with his paternal grandmother. He attended Coláiste Éanna in Ballyroan, Dublin, Ballyroan. Writing in ''The Guardian'', Bruce Dessau observed of Hughes's early years: [He] used to talk about how sounding like a Cockn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marc Sinden
Marcus Andrew Sinden (born 9 May 1954) is an English actor and film & theatre director and producer. Sinden has worked in film and theatre (mainly in London's West End) as both actor and producer and directed the documentary series ''Great West End Theatres'', detailing the history of the 40 major playhouses in London. He was artistic director of the Mermaid Theatre and inaugurated the British Theatre Season in Monaco, which was awarded a Royal Warrant by Prince Albert of Monaco. His first West End production was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment and another won the Stage Award for Best Ensemble work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He is also the director and co-author of the touring anthology ''Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners'' and was nominated for a Sony Award for his voice-overs for the Apple Computers TV advertisements. In 1968 he and his older brother, actor Jeremy Sinden, were part of the "Na-Na" chorus on "Hey Jude" by the Beatles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Terence Ryan
Terence Ryan is a British film director, writer, and producer. He has written, directed and produced eight feature films and he has also produced and directed an enormous variety of television programs and television series ranging from serious drama and comedy to sport, music and documentary. Feature films directed and produced by him include ''The Brylcreem Boys'', ''Puckoon'', ''Going Home (1987 film), Going Home'', ''Blind Justice (1988 film), Hold My Hand I'm Dying''. Feature films produced by Terence Ryan include ''Botched (film), Botched'', ''Heaven on Earth (1987 film), Heaven on Earth''. His work includes films in the genres of drama, comedy, music, and sport. He has also produced and directed social documentaries for charities including Help the Aged, Who Matters, Children in Need and Immunization Awareness. Ryan is a founding member of the Irish Academy of Film. Early life He was born in London, England. Career Ryan began his film career in 1972 at the London Inte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ed Byrne (comedian)
Edward Cathal Byrne (born 16 April 1972) is an Irish actor and comedian. He has presented the British television shows '' Just for Laughs'' and ''Uncut! Best Unseen Ads'', has been a guest on numerous television panel games and has appeared on a number of television cooking shows. Early life Byrne was born on 16 April 1972 in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland, to Jill and Eddie Byrne, the third of four children. Career Stand-up comedy Deciding to study horticulture at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, he was made entertainments convener at the Students' Union in his second year of study. Byrne started a comedy night called '' The Comedy Cellar'' in the basement of the 13th Note public house on Glassford Street, Glasgow. On the first night, Byrne appeared on the roster alongside Armando Iannucci's brother David. Over the following few months, acts booked included Ford Kiernan, Phil Kay, Greg Hemphill, Alan Francis and Alan Tyler. After a few months he gave up studying and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jo Gilbert
Joanne Lesley Gilbert (7 June 1955 – 15 September 2018) was an English film producer and casting director based in Holywood, near Belfast, Northern Ireland, and ran Real Holywood Productions. Career Producing At the time of her death, Jo Gilbert was in pre-production with the movie ''The Ribbon'' with Ed Burns and starring Julia Stiles ,and was producing the 40-part documentary series ''Great West End Theatres'' for Great Productions. In their review of the series, the ''British Theatre Guide'' said "This film is as close as one can get to standing on the stage taking an ovation. This series is beautifully filmed and gets the balance exactly right between classy camera work, history, reminiscence and gossip." She produced the film ''Closing the Ring'', the last film directed by Richard Attenborough, which was shot in and around Belfast and released in 2007. Her previous film credits as associate producer are ''Puckoon'' (2002), directed by Terence Ryan; '' Darkness Falls'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Freddie Jones
Frederick Charles Jones''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916-2005.''; at ancestry.com (12 September 1927 – 9 July 2019) was an English actor who had an extensive career in television, theatre and cinema productions for almost sixty years. In theatre, he was best known for originating the role of Sir in ''The Dresser''; in film, he was best known for his role as the showman Bytes in ''The Elephant Man'' (1980); and in television, he was best known for playing Sandy Thomas in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 2005 to 2018. Early life Jones was born on 12 September 1927 in Dresden, a suburb of the town of Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, the son of Ida Elizabeth (née Goodwin) and Charles Edward Jones. Charles was a porcelain thrower, Ida a clerk and pub pianist. He worked briefly at Creda, the consumer electrical goods vendors, in Longton before he joined the British Ceramic Research Association in Penkhull, where he worked for ten years. His girlfriend at the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nickolas Grace
Nickolas Andrew Halliwell Grace (born 21 November 1947) is an English actor known for his roles on television, including Anthony Blanche in the acclaimed ITV adaptation of ''Brideshead Revisited'', and the Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1980s series ''Robin of Sherwood''. Grace also played Dorien Green's husband Marcus Green in the 1990s British comedy series '' Birds of a Feather''. Early life and career Grace was educated at the King's School, Chester and Forest School, Walthamstow. He trained as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama, where he still teaches. He made his theatrical debut in weekly rep in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex in 1969, and appeared in Trevor Peacock's ''Erb'' later that year, which transferred to the Strand Theatre in spring 1970, his first appearance in the West End. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1972, and in 1973 played Aumerle there in the Ian Richardson/Richard Pasco ''Richard II'', which transferred to Broadway. Grace then play ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daragh O'Malley
Daragh Gerard Marion O'Malley (born 25 May 1954) is an Irish actor, director and producer. He was born in Dublin, Ireland. Among many TV appearances O'Malley is known for his portrayal of Patrick Harper in the series '' Sharpe'' (1993–2009), starring Sean Bean. O'Malley first appeared in roles in the films ''The Long Good Friday'' and ''Withnail and I'', guest roles in many UK television series including '' Tales of the Unexpected'', '' Waking The Dead'' and '' Vera'', TV roles in ''Longitude'', ''Cleopatra'' and ''The Magnificent Seven'', and US TV film ''Vendetta''. O'Malley also played Irish explorer Tom Crean in the 8 part television series ''The Last Place on Earth''. In 2011 O'Malley turned his focus to the stage, appearing in productions in the US and in the UK. Among over a dozen stage productions O'Malley appeared as Father Jack in a revival of ''Dancing at Lughnasa'', which was nominated for an MTA Best Production Award, and followed that by playing John Rainey in a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Kelly (actor)
David Kelly (11 July 1929 – 12 February 2012) was an Irish actor who had regular roles in several film and television works from the 1950s onwards. One of the most recognisable voices and faces of Irish stage and screen, Kelly was known for his roles as Rashers Tierney in '' Strumpet City'', Cousin Enda in ''Me Mammy'', the builder Mr O'Reilly in ''Fawlty Towers'', Albert Riddle in '' Robin's Nest'', and Grandpa Joe in the film ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (2005). Another notable role was as Michael O'Sullivan in ''Waking Ned''. Early life and career Kelly was born 11 July 1929 in Dublin, Ireland, and educated at Dublin's Synge Street CBS Christian Brothers school.''Irish Independent'', 2005 He began acting at the age of eight at the city's Gaiety Theatre, encouraged by a teacher at school he also performed with the Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society and went on to train at The Abbey School of Acting. As a backup career, he additionally trained as a draughtsma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Milo O'Shea
Milo Donal O'Shea (2 June 1926 – 2 April 2013) was an Irish people, Irish actor. He was twice nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performances in ''Staircase (play), Staircase'' (1968) and ''Mass Appeal (play), Mass Appeal'' (1982). Early life O'Shea was born and brought up in Dublin and educated by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, Christian Brothers at Synge Street CBS, Synge Street school, along with his friend Donal Donnelly. His father was a singer and his mother a ballet teacher. Because he was bilingual, O'Shea performed in English-speaking theatres and in Irish in the Abbey Theatre Company. At age 12, he appeared in George Bernard Shaw's ''Caesar and Cleopatra (play), Caesar and Cleopatra'' at the Gate Theatre. He later studied music and drama at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Guildhall School in London and was a skilled pianist. He was discovered in the 1950s by Harry Dillon, who ran the 37 Theatre Club on the top floor of his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
