Customer Reviews
What a genius! - By: David Medlycott, 14 Oct 2008 
Those three words say it all, really. I have been a fan of R.B. for years, yet only recently got round to reading this book. In fact, I haven't quite finished it, it's massive. There isn't an item that will dissappoint, no matter how old a piece is, one can still see the humour even after three decades or more. Mind you that might be a reflection of my age!! There are many sketches that you remember & come to life as you read them & you can 'see' R.B. as you read. His comedy was down to his ability as a straight actorin his early working life & he never forgot his craft. Brilliant. What a genius!!
Ronnie Barker and Amazing Fellow - By: , 07 Dec 2005 This book was absolutly amazing i personally think Ronnie Barker was an amazing guy & i have done numerous tributes to Ronnie Barker on stagein front of as many as 1500 people & each of them loved the comedy & Ronnie Barker!
"A Play What I Wrote" - By: P. A. Rushforth, 24 Feb 2004 "A Play What I Wrote" -- the catchphrase of the late Ernie Wise of that wonderful double act -- Morecambe & Wise. But I don't think that Ernie ever wrote a play or sketch.
However Ronnie Barker of that other celebrated & highly popular double act - The Two Ronnies - has written a couple of plays. And since the 1960s he has written hundreds of monologues & sketches, totting up some half a million words.
In his book "ALL I EVER WROTE" are, word for word, almost all the scripts that Ronnie wrote. Regrettably copies of some of his early writings were not saved at the time & have been lost forever. What remains is delightful & thoroughly enjoyable & amusing. Most were televised & whilst reading those that we have seen on the small screen they can quickly & easily provide us with a mental picturein our minds.
The quiet, unassuming Ronnie Barker was able to perform the dozens of parts for us by slipping into the characters not onlyin his ability to change his voice & dialects but also with the remarkable changes of appearance, so that sometimes we needed to look carfefully & closely to be sure it was him.
Buy the book, settle downin a quiet corner & be prepared for an enjoyable time reading & visualising these fascinating & humourous writings.
The perfect record of a comic genius - By: , 11 Nov 2001 Ronnie Barker is a national treasure. No question. From the bumbling Granvillein "Open All Hours", via the wise-cracking Fletcherin "Porridge" to larger half of his classic double act with Ronnie Corbett, this man oozed comedy. Not only was he one of the most talented character actors of his generation but his abilty to write comedy was also extraordinary.
This book does exactly what it says on the cover: contains all Barker's scripts from his long careerin television & they make joyous reading. Okay, some of the jokes are predictable & yes, some of the situations do seem particularly dated but everything is written with such verve & good feeling that you are willing to forgive these minor quibbles. This is an innocent kind of comedy, a comedy from a better time, life affirming & brilliant.
So whatever you think of the current crop of comedians, spend a few hoursin the company of Ronnie Barker & learn how it should be done.
Four candles? No, fork handles!
Wide-ranging, subtle, vulgar and hugely enjoyable collection - By: ian_courtington@hotmail.com, 04 Apr 2001 I was lucky enough to obtain a signed copy of this book by my comedy hero; Ronnie Barkers' work on screen was inventive, nostalgic, satirical, wistful & saucy but never cruel or obscene. Most of this book is taken up with material from the hugely successful BBC series "The Two Ronnies" penned by Ronnie under a pseudonym. It features sketches & songs, Two Ronnies serials like "The Phantom raspberry blower" & the wonderful "Piggy Malone & Charlie Farley", as well as the scripts for the marvellous lost silent films "The Picnic" & "By the Sea" (with Ronnie Corbett) as well as the earlier masterpiece "Futtocks End". I can't recommend this book highly enough. Genius.
Review by Ian Stephens
