Cyril Lagey was a definate 'one off'  and the like of which we will never see again. In 2009 he would be considered politically incorrect, offensive and would certainly never be allowed on TV again, and yet for years he made people scream with laughter just by sending up his own looks and personality.  Some people called it, 'Uncle Tomming'  or 'mugging' but whatever it was, Cyril was the master of it. He played the slightly stupid Consultant as if he were in the old day movie cotton fields of South Carolina!  His eyes rolled in fear, and his big lips gibbered with fright when asked the simplest question by Professor Nuts! His squeaky high voice and American drawl was superb. Many times I have seen audiences of every nationality bent over and gasping for breath with hysterical laughter when Cyril had only just walked on stage, before he even opened his mouth to speak. You tell me... when did you ever see that? Before joining Nuts & Bolts Cyril had been part of the Nitwits alongside Tony Traversi and used to tell me all about his time in Las Vegas with them. Cyril used to drive a huge Caddilac car (in those days this was a rarity for a black man) and he admitted to being a terrible driver and would often prang it.  He was also a gadget man who bought every new product on the market as soon as it appeared!  I remember him telephoning me in London once, he was screaming down the phone and after I had calmed him down he begged me to go to his home and stop his pasta machine!  His new toy was out of control and had covered his cat in lasagne!  When Cyril was good he was brilliant but as with a lot of talented people, he could also be  difficult to deal with sometimes.  As he got older he mellowed a bit but I 'barred' him from my house many times for being a pain in the arse. However he always got back in my good books before long and back into the fold.  He was also good company for me when we worked in Germany with Roncalli. Ron would take our caravan on to the next venue and I would drive everyone home to England for a short break between shows. In the middle of the night everyone would be sound asleep but Cyril always stayed awake to keep me company.  Cyril had an eventful life. He worked as a cigarette boy in The Nest in Carnaby Street London a famous club in the 1930's frequented by film stars and royalty. He played a jungle king in the movie Tarzan and can still be seen in old  documentaries jumping from the back of a flat bed truck in the desert during the war. He was there  to entertain our troops (D day plus 6) Just before we were to go to the states, Cyril was diagnosed with abdominal cancer and he died in 1999. He was 81. He can never ever be replaced.                                       

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