Thursday
13th February 2003
Just
like that - Cooper's back in Malvern |
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| Tommy
Cooper |
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The
magic and humour of Tommy Cooper is brought back to life in Malvern. |
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Reading a Tommy Cooper joke may raise a smile, but to hear it in your
head with that much-imitated but never bettered style will inevitably
turn the joke from amusing to hilarious.
Try it on this one which features in the new show about the comedian/magician
which is being premiered in Malvern this March.
"You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today.
They left a note on the windscreen, it said ‘Parking Fine’. So that
was nice." See what I mean?
Plenty of big names are involved in the production of Not Like That,
Like This: Jerome Flynn stars as Tommy Cooper: the show is directed
by Simon Callow: the musical staging is by Lionel Blair.
The play was written and created by John Fisher, and opens at Malvern
Theatres on 5th March before transferring to the West End, Garrick
Theatre in April.
The producers describe it as "a celebration of the life and talent
of the great British comedy genius that was Tommy Cooper."
Behind the man
All the familiar trademarks are here: the fez, the laugh, the hats,
the bottle and the glass – all brought to life aided by six dancing
girls, and the challenge will be to take the audience beyond the impression
and give an insight into the man under the fez.
The publicity material promises to do just that, showing the audience
a troubled perfectionist, whose energy and anxieties were the driving
force behind this genial giant who died the most public of deaths
on live television before an audience of millions.
Jerome Flynn is best known for his portrayal of Paddy Garvey in Soldier
Soldier and for the No.1 hit Unchained Melody that he made with former
co-star Robson Green. His theatre work includes plays with the RSC,
the Young Vic and Royal Court.
Simon Callow will be remembered by Malvern audiences for his outstanding
performance in The Mystery of Charles Dickens, 2001, and also for
his roles in the hugely successful films Four Weddings and a Funeral,
Shakespeare in Love and A Room with a View. |
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