Download Barry Cryer Biography

BARRY CRYER OBE
Comedian, after dinner speaker, Awards Host, writer and broadcaster
One of the leading after dinner speakers and awards hosts in the UK, Barry Cryer delights audiences
with his wit, quick turn of phrase, professional skill and wonderful personality. He has worked in
variety, music hall, television, radio, pantomime and as a guest speaker for many years.
Born in Leeds, he was educated at Leeds Grammar School and Leeds University. He is BA Eng Lit
(Failed). While appearing at the famous City Varieties Theatre, he was seen by a London agent and
offered work in variety. Barry wrote revues for the Fortune Theatre, home of Beyond The Fringe, then
wrote and appeared in shows with Danny La Rue. He met David Frost and joined the writing team for
BBC's The Frost Report - a group of writers including what was to become the whole of Monty Python.
He wrote and appeared in the Frost Programme and Frost On Sunday and was one of the original
writers for The Two Ronnies.
Barry wrote for practically every top comedian in the country including Morecambe and Wise, Bruce
Forsyth, Tommy Cooper, Stanley Baxter, Dick Emery, Dave Allen, Frankie Howerd, Ronnie Barker,
Ronnie Corbett, Russ Abbott, Bobby Davro and Jasper Carrott. For ATV he wrote for Bob Hope, Jack
Benny, Phil Silvers, Phyllis Diller, Richard Pryor and other visiting stars. He's also written for singers
including Tom Jones and Petula Clark. For eight years he co-wrote the Kenny Everett Shows.
Barry Cryer has appeared in almost every panel game on British TV and radio including Countdown,
That's Showbusiness, Blankety Blank, What's My Line, Punch Lines, Give Us A Clue, I'm Sorry I
Haven't A Clue and Just a Minute. One of the chairmen at the famous Player's Theatre Old Tyme
Music Hall, Barry apears regularly in pantomime.
Barry has spoken at tributes for Gene Kelly, Tommy Steele, Frankie Howerd and Harry Secombe and
has entertained at hundreds of corporate events including for BT, Smiths Foods, ITV advertisers, The
Institute of Bankers (three times), Fiat and EMI.
He has presided over many Awards Ceremonies including the Sony Video Awards and has spoken at
Wembley Stadium at Cup Finals and at international celebrations.
In 1990 Barry Cryer teamed up with his old friend Willie Rushton in their show Two Old Farts In The
Night. The show continued to tour the country until the death of Willie Rushton. In 1993 Barry started
his one-man-show, That Reminds Me as well as a West End run A Saint She Ain’t, directed by Ned
Sherrin. In 2005 Barry toured the UK with Barry Cryer: The First Farewell Tour.
The long-running (29 series) Radio 4 show I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue won the Sony Radio Award for
Best Comedy and British Comedy Award for Best Radio Programme (1995). As part of the I'm Sorry I
Haven't A Clue team, Barry has been jointly responsible for the Limerick book published in 1998 and
the latest book, The Almost Complete I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, published in 1999.
In 1995 Barry joined an illustrious list by becoming a victim on This Is Your Life. In 1998, Barry wrote
his autobiography You Won't Believe This But ... .