Barry Cryer 77752 222426609 2008-06-29T08:06:33Z SteveGoodey 96603 /* Biography */ {{Infobox Comedian | name = Barry Cryer | image = You'll Have Had Your Tea - Barry Cryer.jpg | imagesize = 200px | caption = Cryer during a recording of ''[[You'll Have Had Your Tea]]'' for [[BBC Radio 4]] in 2006 | birth_name = Barry Charles Cryer | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1935|3|23|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Leeds]], [[England]] | death_date = | death_place = | notable_work = ''[[I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]'' (1972–) | website = | footnotes = }} '''Barry Charles Cryer''' [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] (born [[23 March]] [[1935]] in [[Leeds]], [[Yorkshire]], [[England]]) is a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[writer]] and [[comedian]]. Cryer has written for many noted performers, including: :[[Dave Allen (comedian)|Dave Allen]], [[Stanley Baxter]], [[Jack Benny]], [[Rory Bremner]], [[George Burns]], [[Jasper Carrott]], [[Tommy Cooper]], [[Les Dawson]], [[Dick Emery]], [[Kenny Everett]], [[Bruce Forsyth]], [[David Frost (broadcaster)|David Frost]], [[Bob Hope]], [[Frankie Howerd]], [[Richard Pryor]], [[Mike Yarwood]], [[The Two Ronnies]] and [[Morecambe and Wise]].<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/clue/interviews/tim_barry_graeme_transcript2.shtml BBC - I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue - Interviews with the Panellists<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Cryer also wrote episodes for the ''[[Doctor in the House (TV series)|Doctor in the House]]'' television comedy series in Britain. ==Biography== Educated at [[Leeds Grammar School]], Cryer went on to study English Literature at the [[University of Leeds]]. After appearing in University revue, Cryer was offered a week's work at the famous [[Leeds City Varieties]] theatre, home of ''"[[The Good Old Days]],"'' the longest-running television entertainment show in the world.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/clue/article/barry.shtml|title=Barry Cryer - bio at "I'm sorry I haven't a clue"|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2008-04-02}}</ref> On graduation he transferred professionally to [[London]]. After impressing impresario [[Vivian Van Damm]], Cryer began the bottom billing act at the [[Windmill Theatre]] in [[London]], a club which showed comedy acts in between [[nudity|nude]] [[Tableau vivant|tableau]] shows. However, Cryer suffered severely from [[eczema]], and after a number of hospitalisations was released by Van Damm. Concluding a performing career was not a wholly sustainable income choice because of his skin condition, Cryer chose to focus mainly on writing - something he could do even when suffering eczema attacks, which he did for the next eight years. Cryer joined the cast in 1957 of "Expresso Bongo" with [[Susan Hampshire]], [[Millicent Martin]], and [[Paul Schofield]], during which he recorded the song ''"[[Purple People Eater]]"'', made famous by [[Sheb Wooley]]. For contractual reasons, Wooley's version was never released in [[Scandinavia]], but Cryer's was, and it made number one [[hit record]] in [[Finland]].<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.gordonpoole.com/?artistID=769|title=Barry Cryer|publisher=Gordon Poole Agency|accessdate=2008-04-02}}</ref> Cryer's first writing credits were four sketches for ''"[[Jimmy Logan|The Jimmy Logan Show]],"'' co-written with [[Douglas Camfield]]. Cryer became head writer with an occasional stage role for [[Danny La Rue]]'s London nightclub, where he was spotted by [[David Frost]]. This led to a writing role on the variety special ''"A Degree of Frost,"'' which lead to Cryer joining the writing team, which included [[John Cleese]], [[Graham Chapman]] and [[Marty Feldman]]; on ''"[[The Frost Report]]"'' from 1966-67. Frost used Cryer on a number of subsequent shows, which established Cryer as a star writer in the 1970s. Cryer always prefers to write in partnership, so that should he dry-up he is never left to deliver material. His regular partner during the 1970s was [[John Junkin]], and with Junkin performing as [[Eric Morecambe]] and Cryer most often the role of [[Ernie Wise]], the pair wrote much of the ''"[[Morecambe and Wise]]"'' show in its BBC heyday.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} Cryer still enjoyed the stage and performance, appearing with [[Tim Brooke-Taylor]] and Junkin in the BBC radio series ''[[Hello, Cheeky!]]'', in which the three performers bounced jokes off each other. He also appeared in the comedy television series ''[[The Steam Video Company]]''. He hosted the ITV comedy panel game ''[[Joker's Wild (TV series)|Joker's Wild]]'', and had a role in ''[[All You Need Is Cash]]'', a spoof documentary about the [[The Beatles|Beatles]] parody band [[the Rutles]]. With new comedians coming forward who wrote their own material, and age progressing and still wanting to perform, Cryer refocused his career to include more performance, touring with [[Willie Rushton]] in ''[[Two Old Farts in the Night]]'', and ''That Reminds Me'' after Rushton's death. After a brief stint as chairman, Cryer has been one of the panellists on the BBC radio comedy programme ''[[I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue]]'', which began in [[1972]]. Recording of the 51st series is indefinitely postponed after the death of [[Humphrey Lyttelton]]. He also writes and stars in ''[[Hamish and Dougal|You'll Have Had Your Tea]]'' with [[Graeme Garden]]. He has written an autobiography, ''[[That Reminds Me (book)|That Reminds Me]]'', as well as a book of miscellaneous anecdotes ''Pigs Can Fly.'' and in 2005 he toured the UK with ''Barry Cryer: The First Farewell Tour,'' 2008 with ''Barry Cryer: Still Alive,'' and remains a popular after-dinner speaker. He was awarded an [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]] in 2001.<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1390303.stm|title=Barry Cryer: King of Comedy|publisher=BBC News|date=15 June, 2001|accessdate=2008-04-02}}</ref> Cryer is a member of the entertainment charity the [[Grand Order of Water Rats]]. ==Books== *''You Won't Believe This But...: An Autobiography of Sorts'' (1996), ISBN 1-85227-682-7 *''Pigs Can Fly'' (2003), ISBN 0-7528-5991-9 ==Notes and references== {{reflist}} ==External links== * {{imdb name|id=0190540}} * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1390303.stm BBC News &ndash; "Barry Cryer: King of Comedy"] * [http://www.comedy-zone.net/standup/comedian/c/cryer-barry.htm Barry Cryer] - Comedy Zone {{ISIHAC}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Cryer, Barry}} [[Category:1935 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Leeds]] [[Category:Old Leodiensians]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds]] [[Category:English comedians]] [[Category:English humorists]] [[Category:English comedy writers]] [[Category:English television writers]] [[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]] [[de:Barry Cryer]]