George Roper

English comedian (1934–2003)

the British comedian

George Francis Roper (born Furnival; 15 May 1934 – 1 July 2003) was an English comedian, best known for his appearances in the long running UK television series The Comedians.

Roper was born in Liverpool to a working class family of Irish descent, to parents who were staunchly Roman Catholic. 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 British Music Hall: Johnnie Cullen of the comedy team Cullen and Carthy, and George Sanford of the dance act Sanford and Lyons. He was also a cousin to the British jazz singer Jeannie Bradbury. He left school at the age of fifteen to join the Merchant Navy as a galley boy, then as steward. Working mainly in the North West England region, 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 the music hall comedian Sandy 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 of Manchester. 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." 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. Ken Irwin:
<blockquote>The Comedians are totally and unashamedly outrageous in all that they do. This is why they have succeeded. Nothing, or no one, apparently, is sacred. And their jokes prove it. They joke about nothing and everything. Anyone and everyone. They joke about false teeth and parrots and homosexuals virtually in the same breath. They joke about Catholics and Protestants. They joke about Pakistanis, the Irish and the Jews. They joke about Enoch Powell, the Queen and the Pope. When they go out in front of the cameras, it is invariably a no holds barred encounter with the British viewing public. You can either take it or switch over to another channel. Viewing figures have already conclusively proved that viewers, who are always the final judges in these things, stay tuned in. 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 including Heroes of Comedy. He appeared regularly in the Spanish resort of Benidorm, sharing the headline spot at the Talk of the Town with jazz musician Eric Delaney. He frequently performed for expatriates in Hong Kong and the Middle East. He also toured Australia several times, where The Comedians made him a star.

George Roper died of cancer in 2003 at the age of 69. The previous year had seen him reunited with his co stars from The Comedians for a long season at the Opera House, Blackpool. His final stage appearance was at the Liverpool Empire in May 2003.