Ryan

A reprint of the warm biography of Ryan Davies (1937-77), one of the most talented Welsh entertainers ever, singer and actor, composer, comedian and media entertainment pioneer, written by a very close friend and colleague. A Welsh version is available. Almost 100 black-and-white photographs. First published in 1980.

About the Author :
Rhydderch Jones was a lifelong friend of Ryan and worked with him on many television series.

Review :
In April 1977, Wales was stunned by the news that Ryan Davies, one of her most talented and versatile all-round entertainers, had died suddenly in the United States at the incredibly young age of 40. Best known initially as part of the comedy duo Ryan a Ronnie prior to their break-up in 1975, he continued his highly successful solo career as actor, singer, clown and writer until his untimely death. A boundless enthusiasm and pulsating vitality were complemented by an unfailingly warm rapport with everyone he met, and an uncanny knack of relating to individuals from all walks of life. As journalist Trevor Fishlock wrote early in 1975: 'Ryan Davies keeps Wales in stitches. He is the only comedian in Britain who works in two languages and he is the only performer in Welsh language comedy who has achieved the rank of star.' This attractive, well-produced tome, published to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of Ryan's death, an expanded English version of a Welsh text first published in 1980 and recently re-published, is the work of Rhydderch Jones, one of Ryan's closest friends, particularly during his early career, and the original script writer of the celebrated series Fo a Fe. (The author himself died in 1987.) It comprises a full review of Ryan's life and career on screen and stage and includes a rich array of photographs, posters and illustrations well chosen from the family album and more public sources. It also features an emotional introduction by Bethan Davies, Ryan's daughter, who has fully immersed herself in the detail of her father's distinguished career. Many of Ryan's closest colleagues and fans have written tributes which add to the volume's appeal. The author's research is wide-ranging and impressive, encompassing printed sources including newspapers, hundreds of radio and television scripts, sound and video tapes and programmed interviews with dozens of Ryan's family members, friends and associates. The text is thus enlivened by apposite, lively quotations from these sources judiciously blended into the author's narrative which is written in a direct, personal, homely style throughout. In one chapter, 'A Solo Move', we read the script of a brilliant sketch from the celebrated series Fo a Fe, which ran to four absorbing series and repeats of which continue to enthral a new generation of viewers to this very day. The account of Ryan's death in 1977 is especially poignant and evocative. Only one minor criticism: an index would undoubtedly have added to the usefulness of this very welcome book.