George Francis Roper(bornFurnival;15 May 1934 – 1 July 2003)[1][2]was an English comedian, best known for his appearances in the long-running UK television seriesThe Comedians.
| George Roper | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | George Francis Furnival |
| Born | 15 May 1934 Liverpool,Lancashire,England |
| Died | 1 July 2003(aged 69) Sandbach,Cheshire,England |
| Medium | Comedy |
| Years active | Early 1960s – 2003 |
| Notable works and roles | The Comedians |
Early history
editRoper was born inLiverpoolto a working-class family of Irish descent, to parents who were staunchlyRoman Catholic.[2]In conversation with the writer Ken Irwin in 1972,[3]he remarked that "the rough and ready upbringing of Catholics in Liverpool brings out the humour in a family":
He's another comic who has known poverty. There were five children in the Roper family, three girls and two boys. Dad saw a lot of life – he was a window cleaner. 'Times were hard when I started at school, in the early war years,' says George. 'We never went without, but a jam butty was often a meal'.
Two of Roper's great-uncles were popular stars of the BritishMusic Hall:Johnnie Cullen of the comedy teamCullen and Carthy,and George Sanford of the dance actSanford and Lyons.He was also a cousin to the British jazz singerJeannie Bradbury.
He left school at the age of fifteen to join theMerchant Navyas agalley boy,then as steward.[1]Later he served hisnational servicein theRoyal Air Force(RAF), based inEindhovenin the Netherlands.[2]It was during this period in the Netherlands that Roper began to sing withbig bandsat RAF concert parties.
He marriedLinda Grovesin December 1968, and they had three children: Nicholas, Louise andMatthew.[2]
Career
editOne of the most startling things about him was his resemblance to the great 1990s American comedianBill Hicks.Like Hicks, Roper was predominantly concerned with the metaphysical futility of daily existence, only in his case, he maybe didn't realise it.
— Tony HannaninA History of Northern Comedy[4]
Working mainly in theNorth West Englandregion, Roper began to sing semi-professionally in clubs and hotels during the early 1960s while supporting himself in various jobs, but soon found his real talent lay in performing comedy. He was encouraged by themusic hallcomedianSandy Powell.In his stage act the number of songs soon constricted and the gags expanded.
By 1965, with his portly figure, bejewelled fingers, deadpan style and a laid back microphone technique he began to draw sizeable audiences as a stand-up comic on the booming club and casino scene ofManchester.[3] Regular at Manchester's Cabaret Club were the young reporterMichael ParkinsonandJohnnie Hamp,a producer fromGranada Television,[5]who said of Roper, "When I had the idea for The Comedians, he was one of the first people I called. It wasn't necessarily the gags he told, it was the face. There was always a twinkle in the eye."[5]
Hamp was on the look-out for new acts for a new show, which was to becomeThe Comedians,a groundbreaking television series which ran intermittently between 1971 and 1993. Filmed in Manchester before a live audience, the programme consisted mainly ofNorthernclub comedians telling jokes. It was a major success at the time, garnering several industry awards and aBAFTAnomination,[6]though the jokes told often contained racist or sexist stereotypes. This was acceptable on British TV during the 1970s but would not be acceptable today. Nevertheless, the show stands as a major social document of the era.[7]Ken Irwin:
With his off-beat and sometimes surreal humour, Roper was an oddity in the series. His jokes were clean, inoffensive and were usually centred on "wellies" (wellington boots). Everyone wore "wellies" in Roper's jokes.
— The Times – 10 July 2003[8]
In June 1971 he was one of a group of artists invited to perform in a televised Royal Gala Performance at theEmpire Theatre,Liverpool in the presence of the Queen. The show featured only Liverpool-born performers and marked the opening of theMersey Tunnel.[1]George Roper later made a number of notable television appearances includingThe Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club,Celebrity Squares,At Long Last, ThisandThe Grumbleweeds.In 1980 he performed on the experimental comedy showHere Comes Channel 8(taking a look into the future of television, set in 1999) alongsideSpike Milligan,Rula LenskaandMichael Bentine.He was also a regular comic performer on the ITV gameshow3-2-1.His work for theBBCin radio comedy included appearances onThe Frankie Howerd Variety Show,Windsor Davies Presents,The Arthur Askey Show,the panel showWit's EndforBBC Radio 2andYou've Got To Be JokingforBBC Radio 4.[9]By the 1990s, comic tastes in the UK had changed quite radically, and many variety performers who filled the television schedules often found work difficult to come by. Roper was still in demand in clubs and in summer shows. He could also be seen as a contributor to documentaries includingHeroes of Comedy.He appeared regularly in the Spanish resort ofBenidorm,sharing the headline spot at the Talk of the Town with jazz musicianEric Delaney.He frequently performed forexpatriatesin Hong Kong and the Middle East. He also toured Australia several times, whereThe Comediansmade him a star.
Death
editGeorge Roper died of cancer in 2003 at the age of 69. The previous year had seen him reunited with his co-stars fromThe Comediansfor a long season at theOpera House,Blackpool.His final stage appearance was at the Liverpool Empire in May 2003.[1]His funeral was attended by many figures from the world of comedy and sport, includingRicky Tomlinson,Ken Dodd,Frank Worthington,Tommy Dochertyand all of his contemporaries fromThe Comedians.[10]
References
edit- ^abcdHayward, Anthony (22 July 2003),"George Roper – Obituary",The Independent,London, archived fromthe originalon 24 December 2010
- ^abcd Manning, Bernard (17 July 2003),"George Roper – An all-round stand-up comedian, he never stopped performing",The Guardian,London, archived fromthe originalon 10 March 2014
- ^abIrwin, Ken (1972).Laugh with the Comedians.Wolfe Publishing/TV Times.ISBN0-7234-0489-5.
- ^Tony Hannan(2009).On Behalf of the Committee – A History of Northern Comedy.Scratching Shed Publishing.ISBN978-0-9560075-6-8.
- ^ab"Comedians Mourn As George Has His Last Laugh",Manchester Evening News,Manchester, 10 August 2004,retrieved6 October2010
- ^BAFTA Television Awards – Winners and Nominees,archived fromthe originalon 16 February 2008,retrieved28 December2010
- ^CultureCast: Talk - Paul Merton discusses The Comedians(PDF),National Portrait Gallery and Tyne & Wear Museums, archived fromthe original(PDF)on 27 September 2011,retrieved6 October2010
- ^"George Roper, comedian, was born on May 15, 1934. He died on July 1, 2003, aged 69",The Times,10 July 2003,retrieved5 February2016
- ^George Roper in the Radio Times Archives,BBC,retrieved5 February2016
- ^STARS bid farewell to comic pal,Manchester Evening News, 11 July 2003, archived fromthe originalon 23 May 2012,retrieved5 February2016