West End gig planned

Some of comedy’s biggest stars are to pay tribute to Barry Cryer at a major celebration of his life next month.

Stephen Fry, Harry Hill, Barry Humphries, Michael Palin, Bill Bailey, Stewart Lee, Gyles Brandreth are among those who will be at the Lyric Theatre in the West End for the event.

The line-up  of the show – put together by Barry’s son Bob – also includes Andy Hamilton, Arthur Smith, Maureen Lipman, Ronnie and The Rex – featuring Cryer's long-term collaborator Ronnie Golden – and Pauline Daniels

Michael McIntyre – whose father Ray Cameron wrote the Kenny Everett show with Cryer – will be making a filmed contribution, along with John Cleese, Eddie Izzard, Stephen Merchant, Sandi Toksvig, Emma Thompson and Lee Mack

Organisers say: 'Baz had a gift for making everyone feel welcome and this night of tributes will do the same. He spent his life making people laugh and left behind him a legacy of fun, joy, love, and silliness that this show will celebrate.

'Baz regularly told fantastic stories and anecdotes about others - the many brilliant and fascinating people he’d worked with and knew - but as he was loved and admired by so many, now is the perfect time for the great and the good of the comedy world to come together to share some stories about him.'

Tickets for the show will go on sale on Friday May 6, with proceeds going towards the Royal Variety Charity.

Cryer died in January at the age of 86, having written for generations of comics including Dave Allen, Jasper Carrott, Tommy Cooper, Ronnie Corbett, Les Dawson, Spike Milligan, Frankie Howerd, Richard Pryor and  Morecambe and Wise.

Published: 2 May 2022