At the age of 84, one may not predict an ordinary life to consist of a thrilling road trip with a horde of friends to put up a performance. However, that’s not the case for Ricky Tomlinson, whose extraordinary life defies the norm. A phone conversation is scheduled and answered by his friend, Asa Murphy. They are currently enjoying a lively minibreak on their journey to Scotland in a minibus, disclosed Murphy. The minibus is brimming with the entire cast and crew, along with the props, set, awards of Tomlinson and even their pets.
The reality, though, is quite different – two vehicles are on this entertaining escapade and some of the listed attendees are presumably fictitious. Furthermore, Murphy isn’t merely a friend; he is the mastermind behind the show as the writer, director, actor, and charismatic singer. Their show has travelled throughout UK, before it plans to land in eight venues across Ireland.
Their enjoyable show, Irish Annie’s, is a musical-comedy rolled into one, set in an Irish pub run by Annie in Liverpool, suited with the six-member band The Shenanigans and frequent customers, one of whom is an on-screen depiction of Tomlinson himself. The show features a number of familiar classics.
When Tomlinson takes the phone, he resonates a more vibrant persona compared to Jim Royle, the grumpy, lazy patriarch from the quintessential sitcom ‘The Royle Family’, created by Caroline Aherne, Craig Cash, and Henry Normal – a character which Tomlinson is most associated with. His career is laden with numerous movies and TV shows, as well as notable characters such as Bobby Grant, a rebellious character from Brookside and DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker.
Tomlinson embarked on his acting career in his mid-40s and acknowledges that he’s enjoyed considerable success since then, having worked with notable individuals like Ken Loach and Roland Joffe in a few films. His career highlights also include encounters with esteemed personalities like Robert De Niro, Samuel Jackson, and a dance with Lauren Bacall at the Groucho club during Joffe’s farewell event before his departure for the US.
Tomlinson is well-received at Irish Annie’s, where the audience, he shares, actively participates in the performances., “everyone takes part in the singalongs. Crowd members appreciate good melodies and lyrics”. They distribute lyric sheets to the crowd. The final performance of the night, he describes, is likened to a Glastonbury for the aged, with everyone up on their feet, dancing, waving, singing and participating.
Tomlinson believes it’s a joyful evening filled with high-quality music and well-composed songs, some of which, globally recognised. Asa, the performer, has also contributed some of his original work which were warmly received. Murphy is of Liverpool-Irish descent, with both his parents hailing from Ireland. Tomlinson affirms, “He’s genuinely Irish.”
Despite it might seem like carrying coals to Newcastle, bringing an Irish pub show to Ireland, the vibrant Liverpool-Irish scene, boasting of prolific, creative, first-generation Irish talents in northern England, from Steve Coogan to Aherne, is a testament to the appeal. Irish venues in Liverpool frequently feature live Irish music, Tomlinson shares. He speaks of a recent appearance on the Late Late Show with Patrick Kielty and Daniel O’Donnell, who was an extremely pleasant colleague.
“People worldwide enjoy entertainment; they relish a good laugh, loosening up, and singing along”, says Tomlinson. Doing so in Ireland takes on an extra significance because it’s their cultural music and lyrics, it holds a special place in their hearts, he remarks. He believes this emotional connection will motivate them to put in a little more effort, creating a truly memorable evening.
Ricky Tomlinson, better known by his stage name Eric in certain circles (“Eric’s my polished moniker, used by those to whom I am in debt.”), is renowned for transitioning from a plasterer to an actor, in absence of work post his release from prison. His background features a key role in a construction workers’ conflict where he, in conjunction with Des Warren, were the infamous Shrewsbury Two. They were accused of “conspiracy to intimidate”, found culpable and sentenced to a two-year prison term. After a campaign that endured over forty years, his verdict was finally reversed in 2021, a decision that concerned the sentencing of 24 labour unionists back in 1972.
Tomlinson vocalised his views about the entire ordeal being a stitch-up from the onset, echoing resentment for the ensuing 47 years. “Amidst all this, I not only lost my house but also every little thing I had. There was no compensation, nothing. Just told to carry on with life,” stated Tomlinson.
The actor recounted the almost two-year-long imprisonments. “It was grim. We were living under a blanket, devoid of clothes. We partook in a hunger strike. We were aware we were wrongly incarcerated, and we needed to send that message to the authorities,” he expressed.
“We were cohabiting with grave offenders, murderers and sexual assault perpetrators. But, we had to grit our teeth and bear it. Majority of our days were spent in secluded confinement, Des Warren and myself. My sentence was for two years whereas, Warren received three,” he related.
Tomlinson was granted early release in 1975. “I had about two to three weeks left to fully complete my sentence. However, they feared my friend would die in jail due to continuous drugging and IV use and seeing how severely sick he had become,” Tomlinson informed.
“Dessie had another year’s sentence to serve. They were distressed about him enduring another year so they decided to set an example through me and give him hope by releasing me a few weeks early. Once I was out, Dessie was soon released. Because, had I remained in prison, Dessie wouldn’t stand a chance of leaving,” he concluded.
In an emotionally charged admission, the man disclosed that he had kept a secret from a close friend, hiding the reason why he was able to return home – because he had been set free to enable his friend’s release. The truth remained hidden for years until the friend confronted him with a harshly worded letter, accusing him of betrayal. Only when the truth was revealed at his friend’s deathbed, was the misunderstanding resolved. The friend, lying on a mattress on the floor, used a rope attached to a ceiling beam to hoist himself up and planted a tearful, reconciliatory kiss on his visitor.
In 2017, an outrageous report claimed that TV presenter Richard Whiteley, of the Countdown program, was implicated in Tomlinson’s prison sentence during the 1970s. It was alleged that Whiteley’s involvement in a documentary titled ‘Red Under the Bed’ contributed to Tomlinson’s conviction. However, when questioned about these accusations, Tomlinson disregarded them, simply stating that Whiteley was nothing more than an intelligence officer, who had no connection to his trial or Shrewsbury, and the allegations emerged from a rumour because of Whiteley’s political journalism career.
Tomlinson, commenting on the state of UK politics, expressed his wish for an imminent election. He empathised with the hardships people faced during the Covid pandemic and increased inflation, expressing his disgust over the increased reliance on food banks. He stressed the importance of taking care of pensioners, who had contributed much to society. In a lighthearted moment, he laughed at himself for championing the cause of pensioners.
Tomlinson goes on to describe his life as a thrilling journey filled with ups and downs. He proclaimed his current contentment, crediting his family, including his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandson. He revealed his life on the road with Asa, enjoying the post-concert crowd interaction of posing for selfies and signing autographs, as much as actually performing on stage.
“Tomlinson reveals that his 85th birthday is fast-approaching, while expressing a fondness for his job and the camaraderie it provides. He takes great joy in interacting with his audience, and cherishes the photograph sessions post-performance. Given the alternative of idling at home, he chooses busyness as he thrives on his work and hobbies, one of which includes being a regular at Anfield football ground to support the Reds. Life is in his favour presently.
His advice for bliss? Build a life with a companion akin to his wife, Rita Cumiskey, to whom he has been married since 2003. Rita’s unwavering support is what makes him feel fortunate. Life’s troughs have hit him too but he believes everyone experiences them. His strength was tested during a 55-day-long hunger strike while in solitary confinement, which led to his transfer to the hospital wing due to deteriorating health. A notice there said ‘The darkest hour in your life will only last for 60 minutes.’ A saying he frequently reflects upon and something he leans on in times of distress. He is confident about better times accompanied by undying faith. He prides himself on his luck.
Tomlinson is the star of an Irish tour, “Irish Annie’s”, which starts on April 2nd. The tour aims to cover the Civic Theatre in Tallaght for two consecutive days, Liberty Hall in Dublin for two days post-Tallaght, Crescent Concert Hall, Drogheda for a day, Town Hall Theatre, Galway for a day, and the Everyman, Cork for two days. Further details can be found on the irishannies.com site.”