Michael F. Twomey (21 February 1933 – 16 August 2017) was an Irish actor, comedian, director, producer and writer who together with Frank Duggan formed the award-winning

double act A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases f ...

Cha and Miah. The partnership lasted from 1969 until their retirement in 2012. Born in

Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...

, Twomey was introduced to the theatre by his mother, an enthusiastic amateur actress. He made his first appeared on stage in the old Cork Opera House in 1944 at the age 11, in

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earlier ...

's ''

Ah, Wilderness! ''Ah, Wilderness!'' is a comedy by American playwright Eugene O'Neill that premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on October 2, 1933. It differs from a typical O'Neill play in its happy ending for the central character, and depiction of a ...

'' He played on and off in theatre, pantomime and revues in Cork for the next 70 years and also formed a friendship with the playwright

John B. Keane John Brendan Keane (21 July 1928 – 30 May 2002) was an Irish playwright, novelist and essayist from Listowel, County Kerry. Biography A son of a national school teacher, William B. Keane, and his wife Hannah (née Purtill), Keane was ...

, playing in the early productions of many of his plays with the Southern Theatre Company. Twomey also had a small part in

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

's 1956 film ''

Moby Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is the sailor Ishmael's narrative of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship ''Pequod'', for revenge against Moby Dick, the giant whit ...

'', however, his big television break came in 1969 when he performed a spoof interview about the dangers of smoking on Telefís Éireann. When Frank Hall later asked him do a slot on his ''

Newsbeat ''Newsbeat'' is the BBC's radio news programme broadcast on Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network. ''Newsbeat'' is produced by BBC News but differs from the BBC's other news programmes in its remit to provide news tailored for a specifically you ...

'' show, Frank Duggan was drafted in to form a double act. They became household names through their weekly slot on ''

Hall's Pictorial Weekly ''Hall's Pictorial Weekly'' was an Irish satirical television series broadcast on Raidió Teilifís Éireann from 1971 to 1980. Regarded as RTÉ's flagship comedy show, it featured satirical sketches on current news stories, politics and pop ...

'' between 1971 and 1980, with Twomey’s Miah in the role of pub philosopher and the dimwitted Cha as his foil.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Twomey, Michael 1933 births 2017 deaths Irish male comedians Irish male actors Irish theatre directors Irish theatre managers and producers Male actors from Cork (city) Rose of Tralee hosts 20th-century Irish comedians