Barry Cryer's had his last tea

[Catalogue of ills]

Generally any BTL comments on the Guardian are to be avoided but the ones under the article about this are worth reading. Some lovely anecdotes from people who encountered him.

[Johnny Yesno]

Barry made a couple of records in the late 50's including a cover of Sheb Wooley's The Purple People Eater this is the rare 78rpm R.I.P.

Ha, that's great.

I was wondering if he'd be back on ISIHAC any time soon. Getting worried about GG now cos he's not been on it in a while either.

RIP

[Janie Jones]

You could tell he could hold a tune when he sang 'one song to the tune of another' on ISIHAC. One of the greats, I hoped he'd last at least another 5 years. Seems no one who met him had a bad word for him.

Re the point in the OP about old comedians who embraced alternative comedy, I'd put him up there with Peter Cook on that point.

[Pink Gregory]

His anecdote of going up to Stewart Lee and saying, "I hear you've nicked my vomiting into christ's anus routine" is ace.

[Lfbarfe]

I'd love to know what he actually helped Richard Pryor write.

I know writers often write stuff different to their act but it does seem quite incongruous.

Baz was at ATV Elstree for loads of stuff, and I think his role with a lot of the Americans was script editing and liaison for British audiences. Don't say elevator, say lift, etc. And if an American turn had a gag that was just never going to work, he'd go through it and offer an alternative in a similar vein.

He rang me a fortnight ago. We were meant to be seeing each other in early March at an Eric Morecambe convention in Harpenden. A phone call from Cryer meant jokes. I got two that day.

A couple were walking down the street and the woman saw a bloke at a bus stop on the other side of the road. "Look over there. It's the Archbishop of Canterbury."
She says to her husband "Go on, go over and ask him." So her husband does as asked.
"Excuse me, are you the Archbishop of Canterbury?"
"FUCK OFF."
He returns to his wife. She asks what he said. "He said 'fuck off'."
"Ah well, she replies, "I suppose now we'll never know."

Same setup. Couple, street, wife spots someone at bus stop. "Look, over there. That's the Great Marvo. He did a wonderful act. The highlight was bending a steel bar around his erect member. Go and ask him."
"Excuse me, are you the Great Marvo?"
The old boy is delighted.
"WHY YES. Yes I am."
"Do you still do the, er..."
"Not since my wrists went."

RIP mate. I'm going to miss those phone calls.

[Lfbarfe]

His anecdote of going up to Stewart Lee and saying, "I hear you've nicked my vomiting into christ's anus routine" is ace.

Isn't it? He was at the centre of so many private jokes between professionals. When he rang Thora Hird, she'd always answer "We've had the sex. What do you want NOW?"

[Lfbarfe]

Ha, that's great.

I was wondering if he'd be back on ISIHAC any time soon. Getting worried about GG now cos he's not been on it in a while either.

RIP

Number 1 in Finland.

[Cuellar]

I was wondering if he'd be back on ISIHAC any time soon.

Probably not

[dissolute ocelot]

Intrigued by the Guardian saying he did a comedy revue at Leeds Uni with Wole Soyinka and Tony Harrison. That must have been interesting viewing. Also nice to read about his lifetime friendship with Alan Bennett: a hell of a double act.

[Lfbarfe]

Intrigued by the Guardian saying he did a comedy revue at Leeds Uni with Wole Soyinka and Tony Harrison. That must have been interesting viewing.

Yep. Absolutely true, that.

[Catalogue of ills]

Baz was at ATV Elstree for loads of stuff, and I think his role with a lot of the Americans was script editing and liaison for British audiences. Don't say elevator, say lift, etc. And if an American turn had a gag that was just never going to work, he'd go through it and offer an alternative in a similar vein.

He rang me a fortnight ago. We were meant to be seeing each other in early March at an Eric Morecambe convention in Harpenden. A phone call from Cryer meant jokes. I got two that day.

A couple were walking down the street and the woman saw a bloke at a bus stop on the other side of the road. "Look over there. It's the Archbishop of Canterbury."
She says to her husband "Go on, go over and ask him." So her husband does as asked.
"Excuse me, are you the Archbishop of Canterbury?"
"FUCK OFF."
He returns to his wife. She asks what he said. "He said 'fuck off'."
"Ah well, she replies, "I suppose now we'll never know."

Same setup. Couple, street, wife spots someone at bus stop. "Look, over there. That's the Great Marvo. He did a wonderful act. The highlight was bending a steel bar around his erect member. Go and ask him."
"Excuse me, are you the Great Marvo?"
The old boy is delighted.
"WHY YES. Yes I am."
"Do you still do the, er..."
"Not since my wrists went."

RIP mate. I'm going to miss those phone calls.

Those are both great, and I can just hear them in his voice. You were lucky to know him.

Is it just me, or do/did Barry Cryer, Eric Morecambe and Graeme Garden all have a similar madcap gleam in the eye?

[AzureSky]

Saw this performance live and had tears running down my face, so joyously silly.

[Lfbarfe]

Those are both great, and I can just hear them in his voice. You were lucky to know him.

I really was. He was the kindest, funniest bloke.

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

I'd love to know what he actually helped Richard Pryor write.

"Careful Richard, fanny means minge over here, not your arse".

*bites into scotch egg*

[Cloud]

Always liked him in The Bill.

[pigamus]

I really was. He was the kindest, funniest bloke.

I was just watching the RHLSTP, you get a mention in that! That Bible joke is marvellous. You can't deliver a punchline better than that.

[phosphoresce]

Aw, I'll miss his silly and clever wordplay on ISIHAC. There was a sweet recent bit on Radio 4 I liked listening to on my Sunday morning drive to work. Apparently Barry had got out the habit of reading novels, the idea was to introduce him to books he'd enjoy. He seemed to especially enjoy a fictional portrayal of Billy Wilder and golden age Hollywood.

[Pavlov`s Dog`s Dad`s Dead]

Awesome.

Very sad there won't be any more of his terrific new podcast https://shows.acast.com/now-where-were-we

Literally listened to this for the first time last night: him and Danny Baker anecdote swapping and name dropping.

RIP

[Lfbarfe]

Literally listened to this for the first time last night: him and Danny Baker anecdote swapping and name dropping.

RIP

Answering the phone to Marilyn Monroe. I'd NEVER heard that one before, and I've spent a lot of time with him over the years.

[mattyc]

I'm so sad that I won't be seeing or hearing him on the programmes I enjoy any more. You could put him on any programme with any other comedians and he would always bounce off them and be hilarious. He always seemed so generous with his laughter and always seemed to be having a whale of a time. He always came across as a lovely man and it's great to see that being confimed time and time again today by people who were lucky enough to know him.

The thought of switching on ISIHAC and knowing I won't be hearing Barry Cryer or Tim Brooke-Taylor just breaks my heart. It seems like I never get over losing the comedians I love, I'll just keep missing them forever. RIP dear Barry and condoleances to everyone who knew him.

[zomgmouse]

what a legendary figure, an absolute loss. struggling to think of anyone with a wider net of collaboration and influence

[Thosworth]

Someone once said that ISIHAC was the Harlem Globetrotters of improvisation. Clearly a certain amount of prep work going into each episode.

I always liked to imagine that Barry was laughing hardest at his own jokes, told by others, and just taking sheer delight in the delivery and reaction.

[gilbertharding]

I was going to make this joke but remembered that I'm not a heartless bastard laughing at the death of a fantastic entertainer.

*leans forward, taps mic*

Barry Pyre.

No, seriously, I was a big fan, and he seemed like an excellent human being.

[beanheadmcginty]

Bury Cryer

[DrGreggles]

Someone posted one of Barry's favourite jokes on Twitter:




Brilliant! You can imagine him telling it.

[TrenterPercenter]

RIP Bazza! as someone else said one of the greats.

[Ambient Sheep]

Not a huge surprise, sadly.  As an occasional viewer of his (and Tony Hawks') Comedy Legends series on Sky Arts, it was noticeable how much more frail he was getting during the more recent series, a stark contrast to how he was in S1.

Nevertheless, didn't expect it to be quite so soon.  A brilliant talent and a lovely guy, still gone too early.  R.I.P.

[Egyptian Feast]

Brilliant! You can imagine him telling it.

That's fucking brilliant. I'd love to have heard him tell it.

I saw another one of his favourites was the guy with an orange for a head joke, which I once heard some fantastic pub bullshitter stretch out to what seemed like twenty or so minutes, full of unnecessary but entertaining details that made the abrupt conclusion all the funnier.

[non capisco]

Someone posted one of Barry's favourite jokes on Twitter:

I was in tears of laughter when I got to the punchline of that last night. Fantastic joke.

Twitter was actually a lovely read for once yesterday as so many people I follow were posting Barry Cryer jokes and stories and examples from nervous young comedians about how he went out of his way to put them at their ease. His ravenous appetite for comedy and generosity of spirit really came across in what people were saying. He seemed like an absolute dude who knew how to live a life to the full.

[jobotic]

I had no idea that the orange for a head joke was his. I read that in a magazine years ago and told it to my mate who laughed for ages and brought it up all the time. I didn't pretend it was mine but wish I'd given Barry his dues.