Barry Cawtheray

www.IMDb.com/name/nm2433889

SNAZZMEDIA (UK) Ltd was formed in 1998 by producer/director Barry Cawtheray, who
has worked for many of the major British Broadcasters: BBC (radio and TV)  ATV,  Rediffusion, Granada TV, LWT, STV, Yorkshire Television and overseas networks including NHK (Japan) Sveriges TV (Sweden) ABC/Westinghouse (USA).

Starting out as an AFM, later Floor Manager, with ATV in London, working on every type of studio, film and outside broadcast production from the prestigious "Play of the Month",  ITV's first soap opera "Emergency Ward Ten" and "Sunday Night at the London Palladium" to Racing at Sandown Park. He then spent a year as a features researcher with Granada TV in Manchester. Five years as a Programme Editor/Producer with London's Rediffusion Television followed, in Entertainment production - working with artists ranging from Paul Robeson and Groucho Marx to The Beatles, Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye and Ray Charles and series including "Ready Steady Go"  He wrote "Here Come the Girls" starring Aretha Franklin and later directed a music documentary featuring Scott Walker, filmed in Japan. He was the producer of a Dionne Warwick "Special" with Burt Bacharach, before producing 26 editions of the award
winning prime time series "Stars and Garters" with artists as diverse as Bud Flanagan and Thora Hird, Dusty Springfield and Joe Cocker (in his first TV appearance).

He produced two 13 part strands anticipating current Talent Show formats like "The X Factor" and "Britain's Got Talent" - ITV's  "Search for a Star" whose judges included John Barry and Tony Bennett and the RSG spin off series "Ready Steady Win" won by Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac) with judges including Bill Haley and Mick Jagger.

Among shows for Yorkshire Television, he was the Producer of a Royal Gala hosted by Bob Monkhouse with Frankie Vaughan and producer/film director of a Tony Hatch, Jackie Trent musical with Petula Clark, Matt Monro and Scott Walker. Also for ITV, he created and was Series Editor on the thirteen part factual entertainment series "The Video Age" whose studio guests included Billy Connolly and Jeremy Irons, not to mention Kenneth Williams, many of whose classic anecdotes were first aired here.

He created the format "Maurice Woodruff Predicts" featuring Hermione Gingold and Peter Sellers for a BBC Radio pilot, which later became a popular TV series in New York, co-hosted by Vidal Sassoon.  Barry has written drama and comedy scripts for BBC Radio 4, ranging from "Start the Week" where he performed "satirical songs at the piano" to an "Afternoon Theatre" play "The Hind Leg" starring Avis Bunnage while for Radio 2, he wrote and presented 13 episodes of the jazz series "The Acker Bilk Band Show" and devised  and wrote a West End stage version of these broadcasts which enjoyed a "sold out" Christmas Season at the Prince of Wales Theatre. He was also one of
the original contributors to the ground breaking Saturday night satirical series "That Was The Week That Was" with David Frost, produced on BBC One by Ned Sherrin.

Following his TV association with many of Britain's major pop/rock stars, Barry became UK consultant, casting chart topping British  artists such as Marc Bolan on the legendary "Steve Allen Show" in Los Angeles. Back in England, he was appointed Director of Programmes for Britain's first Cable TV channel in London, on which Dame Sybil Thorndike made her final screen appearance and Bryan Ferry and Brian Eno (Roxy Music) their TV debut.

"Live Stage" work includes producing The British Song Festival, at The Dome, Brighton, with artists including Marianne Faithful and Lulu, and judges Lionel Bart and Anthony Newley. He also wrote and directed the pantomime "Babes in the Wood" - the first "legit" (?) appearance by Gerry and the Pacemakers, presented by Brian Epstein and Joe (father of the unsinkable Dame Joan) Collins and staged a Jazz Concert at London's Royal Albert Hall with Ronnie Scott, George Melly, Annie Ross and Humphrey Lyttelton.

BC "talking shop" in Barcelona

Barry dramatised and directed the comedy "Heroic Failures" based on the book that topped the Sunday Times best seller list for over twelve months, starring fabled ITN Newscaster Reginald Bosanquet
with "Surprise" guests including Sir Patrick Moore (on a passing xylophone) and wrote and directed Hinge and Bracket's long running comedy "Loyal Tribute" (London and National Tour) He staged a series of "Celebrations" at the Lyceum in the Strand, with veteran Musical Stars including
Jessie Matthews, Evelyn Laye, Cicely Courtneidge, and Dora Bryan as well as the "Ready Steady Go - Mod Ball"  at Wembley Arena, headlined by The Rolling Stones.

Barry is Creative Director of Barcelona based SNAZZMEDIA (Spain)



2018/19

"A Class Act" 85th Birthday tribute to the acclaimed jazz pianist and songwriter
Dave Frishberg. 

"The Crib" Animation featuring the Christmas Music of John Rutter.

"Voice of the Gods"  Music Hall based comedy.

"At the Carlyle" (working title) A Celebration of three of the brightest stars to appear in Cabaret at
New York's legendary Cafe Carlyle, Barbara Cook, Mabel Mercer and Elaine Stritch
(US Co-production).

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