Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as ''
Porridge'', ''
The Two Ronnies
''The Two Ronnies'' is a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. It was created by Bill Cotton and aired on BBC1 from April 1971 to December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo sections, seria ...
'', and ''
Open All Hours
''Open All Hours'' is a British television sitcom created and written by Roy Clarke for the BBC. It ran for 26 episodes in four series, which aired in 1976, 1981, 1982 and 1985. The programme developed from a television pilot broadcast in Ronn ...
''.
Barker began acting in Oxford amateur dramatics whilst working as a bank clerk, having dropped out of higher education. He moved into
repertory theatre with the Manchester Repertory Company at Aylesbury and decided he was best suited to comic roles. He had his first success at the
Oxford Playhouse
Oxford Playhouse is a theatre designed by Edward Maufe and F.G.M. Chancellor. It is situated in Beaumont Street, Oxford, opposite the Ashmolean Museum.
History
The Playhouse was founded as ''The Red Barn'' at 12 Woodstock Road, North Oxfo ...
and in roles in the West End including
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...
's ''
The Real Inspector Hound
''The Real Inspector Hound'' is a short, one-act play by Tom Stoppard. The plot follows two theatre critics named Moon and Birdboot who are watching a ludicrous setup of a country house murder mystery, in the style of a whodunit. By chance, th ...
''. During this period, he was in the cast of BBC radio and television comedies such as ''
The Navy Lark
''The Navy Lark'' is a radio sitcom about life aboard a United Kingdom, British Royal Navy Frigate#Modern Age, frigate named HMS ''Troutbridge'' (a play on HMS Troubridge (R00), HMS ''Troubridge'', a Royal Navy destroyer) based in HMNB Portsm ...
''. He got his television break with the satirical sketch series ''
The Frost Report
''The Frost Report'' is a satirical television show hosted by David Frost. It introduced John Cleese, Ronnie Barker, and Ronnie Corbett to television, and launched the careers of other writers and performers. It premiered on BBC1 on 10 March ...
'' in 1966, where he met future collaborator,
Ronnie Corbett
Ronald Balfour Corbett (4 December 1930 – 31 March 2016) was a Scottish actor, broadcaster, comedian and writer. He had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the BBC television comedy sketch show ''The Two Ronnies''. He achieved promine ...
. He joined
David Frost's production company and starred in
ITV shows.
After rejoining the BBC, Barker achieved significant success with the sketch show ''The Two Ronnies'' (1971–87), with Ronnie Corbett. The duo maintained their careers as solo performers; Barker notably starred as inmate
Norman Stanley Fletcher
Norman Stanley Fletcher, commonly nicknamed "Fletch", is the main fictional character in the BBC sitcom ''Porridge'', and the spin-off, '' Going Straight''. He was played by Ronnie Barker.
In the pilot episode, Fletcher claims to Mr Barrowclou ...
in the sitcom ''Porridge'' (1974–77) and its sequel ''
Going Straight
''Going Straight'' is a BBC sitcom created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, and starring Ronnie Barker and Richard Beckinsale. The programme was a direct spin-off to the sitcom '' Porridge'', which all four were involved in, wit ...
'' (1978) and as shopkeeper
Arkwright in ''Open All Hours'' (1976–85). He wrote comedy under his own name, though for much of his written material after 1968 he adopted pseudonyms (including "Gerald Wiley") to avoid pre-judgments of his writing talent. He won a BAFTA for
best light entertainment performance four times, among other awards, and received an
OBE in 1978.
Later television sitcoms such as ''
The Magnificent Evans'' and ''
Clarence Clarence may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division
* Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow
* Clarence River (New South Wales)
* Clarence Strait (Northern Territory)
* City of Clarence, a l ...
'' were less successful and he retired in December 1987. The following year, he opened an antiques shop with his wife, Joy. After 1999, he appeared in smaller, non-comic roles in films. He died of heart failure on 3 October 2005, aged 76.
Early life
Barker was born on 25 September 1929 at 70 Garfield Street,
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
,
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council ...
, the only son of Leonard William Barker (always known inexplicably as "Tim")
[Remembering Ronnie Barker, Richard Webber, Arrow Books, 2010, p. 10] and Edith Eleanor (née Carter; known as "Cis", by virtue of being the youngest sister amongst her siblings).
[
Barker's elder sister Vera was born in 1926 and his younger sister Eileen was born in 1933.] His father was a clerk for Shell-Mex, and this job saw the family move to Church Cowley Road
Church Cowley Road is a major road in Cowley, Oxford, Cowley, Oxford, England, leading from Rose Hill, Oxford, Rose Hill to Cowley Centre. It continues as Between Towns Road.
History
The original village of Cowley became known as "Church Cowle ...
in Cowley, Oxfordshire
Cowley () is a residential and industrial area in Oxford, England. Cowley's neighbours are Rose Hill and Blackbird Leys to the south, Headington to the north and the villages of Horspath and Garsington across fields to the east. Internationall ...
when Barker was four.
Barker's biographer Bob McCabe described Barker's childhood as "a happy time, marred by no ructions or family tensions, apart from the occasional wet sock." As a child, Barker enjoyed dressing up, particularly in his father's pierrot
Pierrot ( , , ) is a stock character of pantomime and '' commedia dell'arte'', whose origins are in the late seventeenth-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne. The name is a diminutive of ''Pi ...
outfit, as well as films, comics and animals.[ He developed a love of the theatre, often attending plays with his family. The first play he saw was '']Cottage to Let
''Cottage to Let'' is a 1941 British spy thriller film directed by Anthony Asquith starring Leslie Banks, Alastair Sim and John Mills. Filmed during the Second World War and set in Scotland during the war, its plot concerns Nazi spies trying t ...
'' and he once skipped school to see Laurence Olivier in '' Henry V''.[ He frequently stood outside stage doors to collect autographs, his first being the actress Celia Johnson.]
Barker grew up in the Florence Park area of Oxford, and went to Donnington Junior School, and then the City of Oxford High School for Boys. His chemistry textbook at Oxford had previously been used by T. E. Lawrence. He found his talent for humour at school and developed his musical ability by singing in the choir at St James's, his local church.[ He got into the sixth form a year early after gaining the ]School Certificate
The School Certificate was a qualification issued by the Board of Studies, New South Wales, typically at the end of Year 10. The successful completion of the School Certificate was a requirement for completion of the Higher School Certificate. T ...
but he felt what he was learning would be of no use to him in later life and so left as soon as he could.[
After leaving school he trained as an architect but gave it up after six months, feeling he was not skilled enough. Barker took his sister Vera's job as a bank clerk at the ]Westminster Bank
Westminster Bank was a British retail bank which operated in England and Wales from 1834 until its merger into the National Westminster Bank in 1970; it continued to exist as a dormant registered non-trading company until 4 July 2017 when it ...
after she had left to become a nurse. He harboured dreams of becoming an actor, and took up amateur dramatics, although initially he just saw the pastime as a chance to meet girls.[
For 18 months, while at the bank, he worked as an actor and stage manager, making his first appearance in ''A Murder Has Been Arranged'' as the musical director of the play-within-a-play.][ Eventually he gave up his job to become a professional actor.][ His father did not support his acting ambition.]
Career
Theatrical career
Barker failed to get into the Young Vic School,[ but joined the Manchester Repertory Company, which was based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, often taking comic roles in their weekly shows. Initially he was employed as the assistant to the assistant stage manager, earning £2.10s. 0d (£2.50) a week.][ He made his debut as a professional actor on 15 November 1948 as Lieutenant Spicer in a performance of ]J. M. Barrie
Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, (; 9 May 1860 19 June 1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several succ ...
's '' Quality Street''.[ He went on to play the organist in '']When We Are Married
''When We Are Married'' is a comedy by the English dramatist, J. B. Priestley, written in 1934. It was first performed in London at the St. Martin's Theatre, London on 11 October 1938, and transferred to the larger Prince's Theatre in March 1 ...
'' and by his third role, the chauffeur Charles in ''Miranda'', Barker realised he wanted to be a comic actor. He was described as "haing
Ing, ING or ing may refer to:
Art and media
* '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film
* i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group
* The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes''
* "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 1992 ...
the talent to be a great straight actor",[ but noted: "I want to make people laugh. Never mind about '']Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
''. Forget '' Richard the Second''. Give me ''Charley's Aunt
''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot in ...
''. My mission in life was now crystal clear." He appeared in stage adaptations of ''Treasure Island
''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...
'' and ''Red Riding Hood
"Little Red Riding Hood" is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a sly wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th century European folk tales. The two best known versions were written by Charles Perrault and the Brothe ...
'' before getting his first leading role in '' The Guinea Pig'' as a working-class boy at a public school.[ When the production moved to ]Rhyl
Rhyl (; cy, Y Rhyl, ) is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. The town lies within the historic boundaries of Flintshire, on the north-east coast of Wales at the mouth of the River Clwyd ( Welsh: ''Afon Clwyd'').
To the we ...
, Barker followed. The Manchester Repertory Company closed, as did the Rhyl company shortly after.[
Barker, aged 20, then spent some time as a porter at Wingfield Hospital; he became distressed through his contact with ]polio
Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...
patients and so opted to take on the persona of "Charlie" so as not to be himself. He and a male nurse often entertained the patients with comedy routines. He found work at the Mime Theatre Company, performing mimed folk music and dance, which soon folded in Penzance. He made his way back to Oxford and then worked in Bramhall
Bramhall is a suburban area in the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. Historically in Cheshire, it had a population of 17,436 at the 2011 Census.Bramhall South and Bramhall North Wards
History
The Anglo-Saxon m ...
for the Famous Players.[ There he met actor Glenn Melvyn; the two became firm friends and Barker stated Melvyn taught him everything he "ever learned about comedy."
He joined the ]Oxford Playhouse
Oxford Playhouse is a theatre designed by Edward Maufe and F.G.M. Chancellor. It is situated in Beaumont Street, Oxford, opposite the Ashmolean Museum.
History
The Playhouse was founded as ''The Red Barn'' at 12 Woodstock Road, North Oxfo ...
in 1951 and worked there for three years, appearing in plays such as ''He Who Gets Slapped
''He Who Gets Slapped'' ( rus, Тот, кто получает пощёчины, links=no) is a play in four acts by Russian dramatist Leonid Andreyev; completed in August 1915 and first produced in that same year at the Moscow Art Theatre on ...
'' as Polly.[ Peter Hall worked with Barker at Oxford and gave him his break, casting him as the Chantyman and Joe Silva in his production of '']Mourning Becomes Electra
''Mourning Becomes Electra'' is a play cycle written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on 26 October 1931 where it ran for 150 performances before closing in March 1932, starring Lee Baker ...
'' at the Arts Theatre
The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London.
History
It opened on 20 April 1927 as a members-only club for the performance of unlicensed plays, thus avoiding theatre censorship by the Lord Chamber ...
in London's West End in 1955.[ By the time he had made it to the West End, Barker had appeared in an estimated 350 plays.][
Barker remained a West End actor for several years, appearing in numerous plays between 1955 and 1968. These included, in 1955, two performances each night as he played a gypsy in ''Listen to the Wind'' at the Arts Theatre and then a peasant in ''Summertime'' later in the evening.] Other roles included Mr. Thwaites in ''Double Image'' in 1956 (with Olivier), '' Camino Real'' (directed by Hall) in 1957,[ French gangster Robertoles-Diams in '']Irma La Douce
''Irma la Douce'' (, "Irma the Sweet") is a 1963 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder from a screenplay he co-wrote with I. A. L. Diamond, based on the 1956 French stage musical of the same name by Marguerite Monnot and Alexa ...
'' for two years from 1958,[ Lord Slingsby-Craddock in ''Mr. Whatnot'' in 1964 and Birdboot in '']The Real Inspector Hound
''The Real Inspector Hound'' is a short, one-act play by Tom Stoppard. The plot follows two theatre critics named Moon and Birdboot who are watching a ludicrous setup of a country house murder mystery, in the style of a whodunit. By chance, th ...
'' in 1968. He also appeared in several Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England ...
productions, including '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' as Quince.[
]
Early media career
Barker's theatrical success enabled him to move into radio work. Barker, who had previously been known by his birth name "Ronald", was now referred to as the less formal form "Ronnie", after a director changed it in the credits, although he did not tell Barker.[ His first radio appearance was in 1956, playing Lord Russett in ''Floggit's''.][ He went on to play multiple characters, but primarily the put-upon Able Seaman 'Fatso' Johnson and Lieutenant-Commander Stanton in '']The Navy Lark
''The Navy Lark'' is a radio sitcom about life aboard a United Kingdom, British Royal Navy Frigate#Modern Age, frigate named HMS ''Troutbridge'' (a play on HMS Troubridge (R00), HMS ''Troubridge'', a Royal Navy destroyer) based in HMNB Portsm ...
'', a navy based sitcom on the BBC Light Programme
The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 1. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the ...
, which ran from 1959 to 1977, with Barker featuring in some 300 episodes.
He also featured in the show's radio spin-off ''The TV Lark'', in which his character, Fatso, was now a camera operator after the main characters were drummed out of the service, and as a trainee chef in ''Crowther's Crowd'' in 1963,[ and had roles on ''Variety Playhouse''.] Barker soon began working in film and television. His first acting job on television was in Melvyn's show ''I'm Not Bothered''. He appeared in various roles in the comedy series '' The Seven Faces of Jim'' from 1962, alongside Jimmy Edwards
James Keith O'Neill Edwards, DFC (23 March 19207 July 1988) was an English comedy writer and actor on radio and television, best known as Pa Glum in ''Take It from Here'' and as headmaster "Professor" James Edwards in ''Whack-O!''.
Early lif ...
and June Whitfield
Dame June Rosemary Whitfield (11 November 1925 – 29 December 2018) was an English radio, television, and film actress.
Her big break was a lead in the radio comedy '' Take It from Here'', which aired on the BBC Light Programme in 1953. ...
, as well as parts in ''Bold as Brass'' and '' Foreign Affairs'' (as Russian embassy worker Grischa Petrovitch).[ This was followed with dramatic parts in '']A Tale of Two Cities
''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in ...
'' as Jerry Cruncher in 1965 as well as single episode roles in '' The Saint'' and '' The Avengers'', in which he played Cheshire, a cat lover.
He had an uncredited role in the 1956 film '' Hell Drivers''. In 1964 he appeared in Galton & Simpson's gentle comedy, ''The Bargee
''The Bargee'' is a 1964 British comedy film shot in Techniscope directed by Duncan Wood, and starring Harry H. Corbett, Hugh Griffith, Eric Sykes and Ronnie Barker. The screenplay was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
Plot
Hemel Pike ...
,'' as 'Ronnie', the illiterate
Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, hum ...
cousin of Harry H Corbett
Harry H. Corbett OBE (28 February 1925 – 21 March 1982) was an English actor and comedian, best remembered for playing rag-and-bone man Harold Steptoe alongside Wilfrid Brambell in the long-running BBC television sitcom ''Steptoe and Son'' ( ...
's rascally 'Hemmel Pike'. He did his first bit of on-screen 'porridge' as fellow convict to Charlie Drake
Charles Edward Springall (19 June 1925 – 23 December 2006), known professionally as Charlie Drake, was an English comedian, actor, writer and singer.
With his small stature (5' 1"/155 cm tall), curly red hair and liking for slapstick, h ...
in '' The Cracksman'' (1963). Other film work at that time included: '' Doctor in Distress'' (1963), '' Father Came Too!'' (1963) and '' A Home of Your Own'' (1965).[
In 1966, Barker got his break with the satirical sketch series '']The Frost Report
''The Frost Report'' is a satirical television show hosted by David Frost. It introduced John Cleese, Ronnie Barker, and Ronnie Corbett to television, and launched the careers of other writers and performers. It premiered on BBC1 on 10 March ...
'', having been recommended for the show by producer James Gilbert.[ The show starred David Frost, John Cleese and Barker's future comedy partner ]Ronnie Corbett
Ronald Balfour Corbett (4 December 1930 – 31 March 2016) was a Scottish actor, broadcaster, comedian and writer. He had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the BBC television comedy sketch show ''The Two Ronnies''. He achieved promine ...
, whom he had met in 1963 when Corbett was the barman at the Buckstone Club near the Haymarket Theatre, and the two became friends.
Corbett stated in his autobiography that the two had gravitated towards each other because of their similar backgrounds; neither had attended university, while many of the other cast and writers on ''The Frost Report'' had.[ Each episode of the show, which was performed and broadcast live, was focused on a single topic and principally revolved around a continuous monologue from Frost, with sketches from Barker, Corbett and Cleese as the show went on. Barker starred alongside Cleese and Corbett in ''The Frost Report'''s best known sketch, which satirised the ]British class system
The social structure of the United Kingdom has historically been highly influenced by the concept of social class, which continues to affect British society today. British society, like its European neighbours and most societies in world history, w ...
, with Barker representing the middle class.
After the first series, the special ''Frost Over England'' was produced, winning the Golden Rose
The Golden Rose is a gold ornament, which popes of the Catholic Church have traditionally blessed annually. It is occasionally conferred as a token of reverence or affection. Recipients have included churches and sanctuaries, royalty, military ...
at the Montreux Television Festival. With a second series of the show announced, Frost, recognising their potential, signed both Barker and Corbett up to his production company David Paradine Productions. As part of the deal Barker was given his own show in 1968, ''The Ronnie Barker Playhouse
''The Ronnie Barker Playhouse'' was a series of six comedy half hours showcasing the talents of Ronnie Barker. All were broadcast by Associated-Rediffusion in 1968.
The series was written by Brian Cooke, Hugh Leonard, Johnnie Mortimer and A ...
'', which comprised six separate, thirty-minute plays. Barker starred in each piece as a different character.
After two series of ''The Frost Report'' on the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. There, Frost hosted ''Frost on Sunday'', with Barker and Corbett following and again performing sketches on the program. Barker began writing sketches for the programme under the pseudonym Gerald Wiley.