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The Chronicles of Hernia
A gorgeous new package for this comedy classic, first published in 1998 under the title You Won't Believe This But... This is a collection of hilarious stories and eye-popping anecdotes from the nation's best-loved comedian. Barry Cryer is one of the most respected and admired writers and performers of his time. In a career spanning forty years, Barry has worked alongside the greatest producers and performers in show Tommy Cooper, Humphrey Lyttelton, Morecambe and Wise, Willie Rushton, Peter Cook, Kenny Everett, Rory Bremner to name but a few - this book is a veritable Who's Who of comedy. From humble beginnings at the Windmill Theatre and "Expresso Bongo", to "The Frost Report", "Call My Bluff" and "I'm Sorry I haven't a Clue", Barry recalls the good, the bad, and the downright ugly in his own inimitable style. 'Barry Cryer ...an anecdote jukebox whose whole life is basically one big chatshow' - "Guardian".
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Barry Cryer
100 books1 followerCryer was born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Educated at Leeds Grammar School, he studied English literature at the University of Leeds.
After appearing in University revue, Cryer was offered a week's work at the Leeds City Varieties theatre, home of The Good Old Days, which became the longest-running television entertainment show in the world. Cryer left university after learning his first-year results and travelled to London. After impressing impresario Vivian Van Damm, Cryer began as the bottom billing act at the Windmill Theatre in London, a theatre which showed comedy acts in between nude tableau shows.
However, Cryer suffered severely from eczema and, after several periods in hospital, was released from his contract by Van Damm. Concluding that a performing career was not a wholly sustainable income choice because of his skin condition, Cryer chose to focus mainly on writing – something he could do even when suffering eczema attacks, which he did for the next eight years.
Cryer always preferred to write in partnership, so that should he dry up he was never left to deliver material. His regular partner during the 1970s was John Junkin, and with Junkin performing as Eric Morecambe and Cryer most often the role of Ernie Wise, the pair wrote some of The Morecambe and Wise Show in its BBC period (the 1972 and 1976 Christmas shows) when regular writer Eddie Braben was unavailable. Cryer still enjoyed performing, appearing with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Junkin in the BBC radio series Hello, Cheeky!, in which the three performers bounced jokes off each other. He also appeared in the comedy television series The Steam Video Company and provided the voice of the judge in the 1975 animated comedy musical Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done. He hosted the ITV comedy panel game Jokers Wild (1969–74) and had a role in All You Need Is Cash, a 1978 spoof documentary about the Beatles parody band the Rutles, as well as a cameo as a police inspector in Kenny Everett's 1984 horror spoof Bloodbath at the House of Death.
With new comedians coming forward who wrote their own material, and age progressing and still wanting to perform, Cryer refocused his career to include more performance, touring with Willie Rushton in Two Old Farts in the Night and, after Rushton's death, That Reminds Me. After a brief early stint as chairman, Cryer was one of the panellists on the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, which began in 1972. He also wrote and starred in You'll Have Had Your Tea with Graeme Garden.
He wrote an autobiography, You Won't Believe This But..., as well as a book of miscellaneous anecdotes, Pigs Can Fly. In 2005 he toured the UK with Barry Cryer: The First Farewell Tour, and in 2008 he toured with Barry Cryer: Still Alive. He remained a popular after-dinner speaker.
He died at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow on 25 January 2022, at the age of 86.
abridged from Wikipedia
After appearing in University revue, Cryer was offered a week's work at the Leeds City Varieties theatre, home of The Good Old Days, which became the longest-running television entertainment show in the world. Cryer left university after learning his first-year results and travelled to London. After impressing impresario Vivian Van Damm, Cryer began as the bottom billing act at the Windmill Theatre in London, a theatre which showed comedy acts in between nude tableau shows.
However, Cryer suffered severely from eczema and, after several periods in hospital, was released from his contract by Van Damm. Concluding that a performing career was not a wholly sustainable income choice because of his skin condition, Cryer chose to focus mainly on writing – something he could do even when suffering eczema attacks, which he did for the next eight years.
Cryer always preferred to write in partnership, so that should he dry up he was never left to deliver material. His regular partner during the 1970s was John Junkin, and with Junkin performing as Eric Morecambe and Cryer most often the role of Ernie Wise, the pair wrote some of The Morecambe and Wise Show in its BBC period (the 1972 and 1976 Christmas shows) when regular writer Eddie Braben was unavailable. Cryer still enjoyed performing, appearing with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Junkin in the BBC radio series Hello, Cheeky!, in which the three performers bounced jokes off each other. He also appeared in the comedy television series The Steam Video Company and provided the voice of the judge in the 1975 animated comedy musical Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done. He hosted the ITV comedy panel game Jokers Wild (1969–74) and had a role in All You Need Is Cash, a 1978 spoof documentary about the Beatles parody band the Rutles, as well as a cameo as a police inspector in Kenny Everett's 1984 horror spoof Bloodbath at the House of Death.
With new comedians coming forward who wrote their own material, and age progressing and still wanting to perform, Cryer refocused his career to include more performance, touring with Willie Rushton in Two Old Farts in the Night and, after Rushton's death, That Reminds Me. After a brief early stint as chairman, Cryer was one of the panellists on the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, which began in 1972. He also wrote and starred in You'll Have Had Your Tea with Graeme Garden.
He wrote an autobiography, You Won't Believe This But..., as well as a book of miscellaneous anecdotes, Pigs Can Fly. In 2005 he toured the UK with Barry Cryer: The First Farewell Tour, and in 2008 he toured with Barry Cryer: Still Alive. He remained a popular after-dinner speaker.
He died at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow on 25 January 2022, at the age of 86.
abridged from Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 20, 2019
A pleasant ramble through the mind of a stand-up comic and writer of some of the best comedy shows in British television. This book is a stream of ideas, recollections, anecdotes and jokes from a long career and a pleasant, easy read. The main problem with the book is that there are so many asides and deviations in any narrative, that I could not easily put it down as I was trying to figure out when he would get to the point.
There is no point.
You don't need a point.
Barry Cryer proves himself to be one of the best storytellers in British comedy.
There is no point.
You don't need a point.
Barry Cryer proves himself to be one of the best storytellers in British comedy.
March 16, 2022
Lovely read about a man who was at the centre of British comedy for over 60 years - writing, performing and more recently the go to man for eulogies about people he worked with. Some great stories and a lot of name dropping BUT these were people he knew well.
March 16, 2022
Laughter and interesting information
Through many anecdotes you learn so much about… so much! It’s a fun read to lift your mood on a dull day and bring you back to a warmer place.
Through many anecdotes you learn so much about… so much! It’s a fun read to lift your mood on a dull day and bring you back to a warmer place.
Read
August 11, 2011A forgetable, and not very revealing, series of random anecdotes about stage, stand-up and writing work. Except it does seem to mostly be name dropping.
Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed reading it... it's just that I don't think I'm going to remember any of it.
Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed reading it... it's just that I don't think I'm going to remember any of it.
September 10, 2013
Amusing set of anecdotes from a surprisingly well connected and established comedian. Really interesting stories but some parts are rather confusing and he goes off on a tangent a lot. Woould definitely recommend though.
March 4, 2016
The best thing about this book is the title. I don't know why it wasn't funnier, I hoped for lol more than once, but that's what I got, just the once. The man is a National Treasure, I will try some of his other autobiographies in my quest for the very funny Barry Cryer.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews