JIMMY Cricket had no idea his Grand Opera House appearance next Thursday would form part of the York Comedy Festival.

"You actually surprised me there. I just thought it was an ordinary gig," says the Northern Irish comedy turn, who will be performing with Don Maclean and Steve Barclay in The Funny Guys line-up.

"I have to say I haven't done too many festivals but I do think they're a good idea. It gives people a choice of shows and it's laughter time. Maybe even the traffic wardens will cheer up."

If Jimmy is surprised to be involved in a festival, perhaps it is more surprising to find him in York at all on this tour. Cricket, Maclean and Barclay - deputising for back injury victim Bernie Clifton - are heading to English coastal resorts on an itinerary that could rise to 40 dates by September.

"We opened last Thursday in lovely downtown Felixstowe, and we're playing all around the coast. Just anybody that wants to grab us," says Jimmy. "Unfortunately we're not doing Scarborough, and we're not doing Bridlington... though we are doing lovely downtown Skegness."

So, York will be the best Yorkshire opportunity to see The Funny Guys, a show rooted in variety and family entertainment. "What we do is join together at the start and give it a big hello, and I'll do the hosting to introduce Steve and Don's acts," says Jimmy. "Steve is a bit of an all rounder - he's a quiet, gentle comedian, who does a few impersonations and plays the ukelele like nobody's business - and Don's a superb act, very underrated. He does the flagship Christian programme on Radio 2 and everyone knows him from his Crackerjack days."

The second half opens with a Three Tenors spoof before Jimmy does his act. "Me coming on last? I got the short straw!," he says. "I kick off in the wellies: it's just a question of not throwing out the baby with the bath water. You start with the familiar but you have to keep up with the new stuff as well.

"I'm always looking out for new things. Like I was reading about a chap being caught with 500 stolen Eminem CDs and saying to the judge 'You can't pin that rap on me' - and there's worse than that one to come!"

Former Redcoat Jimmy, star of his own And There's More show on ITV in the 1980s and 1990s, would love to see more family entertainment and less reality TV on our screens. "My definition of Big Brother is people with nothing to do watching people who can do nothing," he says.

"While I don't need to get back on TV - last month I did 20 shows in 31 nights - I think we could do with more variety shows. I love variety and I do stage shows where we have speciality acts but they're becoming very rare now. We need to encourage more young people to be magicians, street entertainers and variety performers."

Hence he welcomes comedy showcases such as the York Comedy Festival and its National Talent Hunt 2003. "Look out Edinburgh Fringe, here comes York!" he says.

The Funny Guys, Grand Opera House, York, June 26, 7.30pm. Tickets: £14, £12.50 on 01904 671818.

Updated: 11:32 Friday, June 20, 2003