Variety mourns the passing of comedy legend Barry Cryer, OBE
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A gifted writer, he was best known for penning original material in partnership with many top comedy stars such as The Two Ronnies, Bob Hope, Tommy Cooper and Morecambe and Wise. During his seven-decade career, he also appeared regularly on stage, screen and radio.
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Barry hosted many Variety events including The Props Awards and Christmas lunches and was a delightfully entertaining presence at many benefit galas over the years. Those at Variety who knew Barry remember him fondly for his generous spirit and the way he always put people at ease with laughter.
In 1992, Barry was the compere of Variety’s ‘Props’ fundraising lunch. On stage we had celebrities doing short slots, but unfortunately, one performer overran and kept talking. We signalled to Barry to get her to stop, but in craning his neck to see us he fell off the stage into a plant feature. The room went into hysterics, which ended the slot and solved the problem!
Ronnie Nathan, Variety Trustee and 2006 Chief Barker
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