Editing Ronnie Barker (section)

===Theatrical career===
Barker failed to get into the [[Young Vic]] School,<ref name=guardobit/> but joined the Manchester Repertory Company, which was based in [[Aylesbury]], Buckinghamshire, often taking comic roles in their weekly shows. Initially he was employed as the assistant to the assistant stage manager, earning £2.10s. 0d (£2.50) a week.<ref name=C38/> He made his debut as a professional actor on 15 November 1948 as Lieutenant Spicer in a performance of [[J. M. Barrie]]'s ''[[Quality Street (play)|Quality Street]]''.<ref name=timesobit/> He went on to play the organist in ''[[When We Are Married]]'' and by his third role, the chauffeur Charles in ''Miranda'', Barker realised he wanted to be a comic actor. He was described as "ha[ving] the talent to be a great straight actor",<ref name=C39/> but noted: "I want to make people laugh. Never mind about ''[[Hamlet]]''. Forget ''[[Richard the Second]]''. Give me ''[[Charley's Aunt]]''. My mission in life was now crystal clear."<ref name=C39>{{harvnb|Corbett|Nobbs|2007|p=39}}</ref> He appeared in stage adaptations of ''[[Treasure Island]]'' and ''[[Red Riding Hood]]'' before getting his first leading role in ''[[The Guinea Pig (Chetham-Strode)|The Guinea Pig]]'' as a working-class boy at a public school.<ref name=C39/> When the production moved to [[Rhyl]], Barker followed. The Manchester Repertory Company closed, as did the Rhyl company shortly after.<ref name=guardobit/>

Barker, aged 20, then spent some time as a porter at [[Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre|Wingfield Hospital]]; he became distressed through his contact with [[polio]] patients and so opted to take on the persona of "Charlie" so as not to be himself. He and a male nurse often entertained the patients with comedy routines. He found work at the Mime Theatre Company, performing mimed folk music and dance, which soon folded in [[Penzance]].<ref name=C40>{{harvnb|Corbett|Nobbs|2007|pp=40–41}}</ref> He made his way back to Oxford and then worked in [[Bramhall]] for the Famous Players.<ref name=guardobit/> There he met actor Glenn Melvyn; the two became firm friends and Barker stated Melvyn taught him everything he "ever learned about comedy".<ref>{{harvnb|McCabe|2005|p=31}}</ref>

He joined the [[Oxford Playhouse]] in 1951 and worked there for three years, appearing in plays such as ''[[He Who Gets Slapped]]'' as Polly.<ref name=guardobit/><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i0GdPirNqNIC&dq=%22He+Who+Gets+Slapped%22+%22Ronnie+Barker%22&pg=PA271|title=Remembering Ronnie Barker|author=Richard Webber|year=2010|publisher=[[Random House]]|isbn=9781407089355}}</ref> [[Peter Hall (theatre director)|Peter Hall]] worked with Barker at Oxford and gave him his break, casting him as the Chantyman and Joe Silva in his production of ''[[Mourning Becomes Electra]]'' at the [[Arts Theatre]] in [[West End theatre|London's West End]] in 1955.<ref name=timesobit/><ref name=indobit/> By the time he had made it to the West End, Barker had appeared in an estimated 350 plays.<ref name=C39/>

Barker remained a West End actor for several years, appearing in numerous plays between 1955 and 1968. These included, in 1955, two performances each night as he played a gypsy in ''Listen to the Wind'' at the Arts Theatre and then a peasant in ''Summertime'' later in the evening.<ref name=C44>{{harvnb|Corbett|Nobbs|2007|pp=44–45}}</ref> Other roles included Mr. Thwaites in ''Double Image'' in 1956 (with Olivier), ''[[Camino Real (play)|Camino Real]]'' (directed by Hall) in 1957,<ref name=C44/> French gangster Robertoles-Diams in ''[[Irma La Douce (musical)|Irma La Douce]]'' for two years from 1958,<ref name=C2/> Lord Slingsby-Craddock in ''Mr. Whatnot'' in 1964 and Birdboot in ''[[The Real Inspector Hound]]'' in 1968. He also appeared in several [[Royal Court Theatre]] productions, including ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' as Quince.<ref name=indobit/>