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Comedy Pilots

Comedy Pilots: Johnny Tombola: Out Now!

Duration: 30 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC Radio FoyleLatest broadcast: on BBC Radio Ulster

Available for over a year

Mockumentary about Johnny Tombola, Northern Ireland’s premier club entertainer, who is returning to the stage after 30 years.
Tombola rose to local stardom in the late 70s during the height of the Showband era.
He was originally hired to warm up tough audiences with mother-in-law jokes, but he slowly became the headliner, combining powerful ballads with jokes and stories.
Johnny got caught up in a wee conspiracy in the 90s that resulted in him getting a couple of years in prison, but due to an administrative error, he was kept in for thirty years. We’re following Johnny on his come-back trail. Apart from a violent prison injury that damaged his vocal cords, Johnny hasn’t changed at all since his conviction, but Belfast has.
Johnny never forgot the fans. Did they forget him?
Can Johnny rise to the top in a modern Belfast and once again be the talk of the town? Did Johnny’s wife Mavis wait for him? Spoiler alert: She didn’t.
Johnny Tombola: Out Now! Was written by Alan Irwin. It starts Alan Irwin, Teresa Livingstone, William Thompson and Caroline Curran. It was produced by Marc McElroy.
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