Tommy Cooper is without doubt a British comedy institution, a 1970s entertainment icon, so it’s inevitable that following his tragic death on stage during the Royal Variety show in 1984, that there should be a tribute show. Written by John Fisher A Night Out with Tommy Cooper Jus’ Like That pays homage to this comedy giant, revelling in his unique end of the pier comedy. The bumbling attempts at magic, numerous gags, some witty and at times some gloriously silly one-liners.
There are no real twists and turns here but as a tribute to this great man, it is touching
Clive Mantle, best known for playing Dr. Mike Baratt in Casualty and spin off Holby City, is an entirely believable Tommy. His physicality on stage is quite remarkable, and with the attention to detail from Director Patrick Ryecart, Mantle’s mannerisms are bang on the money. His accent however could do with a little more tweaking; who knew Tommy Cooper was in fact American off stage? Most of the show is dedicated to Cooper’s on stage persona. The non stop bad gag attack, “glass, bottle, bottle glass”. The stuff that comedy legends are made of and essentially Cooper’s greatest hits. But there is a small portion of the play that hints to the dark side of Cooper’s personal life. The classic tears of a clown, the sad side of his life that was soaked in misery. The hard drinking, pill popping daily trauma of the dressing room. And surprisingly the show deals with Cooper’s untimely death in a very gentle and touching way, a sad conclusion to a life that brought laughter to so many. It’s a strange show, watching an actor deliver the great comic’s lines, which at times seem slightly dated. There are no real twists and turns here but as a tribute to this great man, it is touching, makes you smile and reach for that fez, jus’ like that.
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