Barry Clark(VII)
- Actor
Barry Clark joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company as a tenor chorister
in July 1971. During his time with them, he appeared regularly in the
small parts of First Yeoman in "The Yeomen of the Guard" (also recorded
by Decca), Francesco in "The Gondoliers" (also recorded), and the
Defendant in "Trial by Jury". As an understudy he covered the roles of
Alexis in "The Sorcerer", Ralph Rackstraw in "H.M.S. Pinafore", the
Duke in "Patience", Tolloller in "Iolanthe", Cyril in "Princess Ida",
Dick Dauntless in "Ruddigore", Leonard and Fairfax in "The Yeomen of
the Guard", and Marco Palmieri in "The Gondoliers". He left the company
at it's closure in 1982 and went on to sing in many operas and musicals
with many other companies, including Scottish Opera, Opera East, Dublin
Grand Opera, and New Sadler's Wells. He was also an original London
cast member of "The Phantom of the Opera" playing the role of the
Auctioneer (also recorded), and later appeared as Pirelli in Sondheim's
"Sweeney Todd" at the Bristol Old Vic. Other appearances include the
Defendant in "Trial by Jury" at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Ralph Rackstraw
in "H.M.S. Pinafore" with the London Savoyards at the Barbican, "Dear
Jessie" - a two-performer play written by and starring Janet Cowley, and the
roles of Tolloller in "Iolanthe", Leonard in "The Yeomen of the Guard",
and The Duke of Plaza Toro in "The Gondoliers" with the Carl Rosa Opera
Company. Clark wrote and directed a musical play about W.S. Gilbert, Arthur Sullivan
and Richard D'Oyly Carte (appearing himself as Carte), called "Monarchs
Of All They Savoy", which played at London's The Player's Theatre in
1992. He also sings with "The Magic of Gilbert And Sullivan" concert
group.