Sean Crummey

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Sean Crummey
Born 1957
Died 13 November 2011
Years active 1990s–2011
Genres Impressions, sketch comedy
Notable works and roles The Folks on the Hill (radio and television series);
Stormont (stage play)

Sean Crummey (born 1957 – died 13 November 2011) was a Belfast playwright, actor[1] and comic impressionist[2] who is most notable as both the writer and the male voice-over star of The Folks on the Hill,[3] a hugely successful, popular programme[4] that started in 2001[5] and ran for over 10 years[3] with a total of seventeen radio and animated television series.

He graduated from Queen's University Belfast in 1980 with a BA in French and Classical Greek.[6] He taught French language for seventeen years at school.[2] He worked the after-dinner comic entertainment circuit for many years, and he felt that his language background contributed to his voice-over impressions.[2][7] During the Troubles, comedians needed to adopt a non-partisan stance, so his stage name was a neutral-sounding non-Catholic pseudonym.[8]

Sean Crummey was well known for his hilariously accurate depictions[9] and his gentle, humorous political satire.[10] He impersonated dozens of voices, particularly of Northern Ireland politicians.[1] Some of Crummey's favourite voices to impersonate were the late PUP leader David Ervine, Pope John Paul II, and Bill McLaren.[11]

He also wrote and acted in Stormont, a stage play produced by Martin Lynch and directed by Michael Poynor,[12] that ran at the Theatre at the Mill in Newtownabbey mid-September to early October 2010.[13][14] On stage, Crummey alternately mimicked two politicians, Ulster Unionist Michael McGimpsey and Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly.[1][15]

He died from a cancer-related illness[11][16] just a day after his final show was broadcast.[10] Politicians from across the political spectrum gave respectful tribute to his comic genius, penetrating humour, and talented political commentary.[3][17][18] His funeral was attended by an unusually large number of famous individuals from all walks of life.[10]

A tribute show was broadcast on New Year's Day, 2012.[3][19] A memorial fund set up in memory of Sean Crummey donated £60,000 to Queen's Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology (CCRCB).[6]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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