So, our Barry Cryer special reaches its conclusion with this all star documentary celebration of the great man, delivered perfectly by his son Bob. I’m so grateful to him for giving his time to deliver my thoughts on his dad and can’t think of anyone better to voice such a celebration. My thanks also go to the amazing, stellar lineup of contributors who each donated their time to creating wonderful voice pieces which we were able to intersperse into the narration. It was particularly telling how each and every person who was asked to contribute immediately said yes. I feel that this is perfect testament to how beloved our subject was throughout the whole of entertainment. Indeed, I never met a single person in entertainment who didn’t either respect or appreciate his lifelong dedication to the art of laughter. He was the one common thread throughout the history of postwar entertainment, forever embracing new trends, styles and stars.
There’s many aspects of Barry’s story that have become part of Britain’s cultural heritage: the parrot jokes, the one liners and the relentless material that he created for others. Yet perhaps what I’ve downplayed across these two tributes is my own personal friendship with him which matured for over a treasured decade. Looking back, it seemed so surreal how I was able to strike up such an unlikely friendship with one of the most respected and influential comedy figures Britain has ever produced and remains one of the proudest achievements of my life. Whenever we used to speak on the phone, I would always get a buzz from it which would last all week. Indeed, when you were talking to Baz, you always knew that you were getting his undivided attention and for those precious moments, you were all he cared about.
What was it like to meet Barry Cryer is one of the most frequent questions I’m asked when displaying my work to the public. For this, I sometimes think I’m required to create an elaborate image of the comedy legend and the jokes he made. However, the simple answer is that he was just a normal, caring, funny guy who instantly put you at ease whenever you were in his presence. His anecdotes and legendary one liners would naturally present themselves at an appropriate moment with accurate precision. Yet he was never one to superficially show off and instead had a genuine interest in the people he was talking to. It would have been so easy for a figure of his calibre and reputation to remain detached and distant from his public but that just wasn’t Barry. Irrespective of how celebrated or legendary he became, there was always a grounded, humble spirit that was apparent with everyone he ever met.
Of course, his story was far from normal and his reputation within the annals of British comedy was unparalleled. Yet the man behind the one liners was far from a showbiz personality, devoid of the egotistical glamour of a star. This was the beautiful thing about Barry Cryer: he was undoubtedly part of the entertainment establishment and yet didn’t much care for the label. To consistently and prolifically write quality material for some of the best performers in the business, you must have to be a genius but yet Barry remained ever modest about his craft until the day he died.
I strongly remember an occasion when I had the idea of writing a piece about theatrical agents and asked Barry if I could interview him for which he kindly agreed to. For this, I made the fatal error of not doing enough research into the specifics of the subject and Barry clocked this within minutes of the start of the interview. Instead of egotistically highlighting my errors, Barry continuously apologised and said “I’m so sorry about this, I don’t know what to say”. Other performers may have been excused for appearing annoyed or even angry by my glaring lack of research or knowledge. Yet Baz had little ego and always wanted to build people up instead of bursting their bubble. This, for me, epitomises the generous nature of Cryer and may provide evidence as to why he was revered by performers and audiences alike.
Since beginning this project in the autumn of 2025, I’ve been struck by just how many supremely talented individuals wanted to get involved and pay tribute. Comedy legends, theatrical stars and broadcasting titans each contributed to this unique project, most of whom didn’t know me or weren’t aware of Beyond The Title! The only thing that we all share is a deep love for Barry, his work, spirit and legacy. To touch the lives of many people who he met over the years and the millions of others who he didn’t but appreciated his talent for comedy is a real achievement. Yet what is more remarkable is his generosity of spirit which made him into one of the nicest men I’ve ever met. Long live parrots!
Beyond The Title