Fuzzy memories of the fez master

10 April 2012

It's just as well that Tommy Cooper is pushing up the daisies. If he were around today to see this unflattering portrait, he'd surely sue - just like that.

On the other hand, he'd probably only resort to litigation on a no-win-no-pay basis because, among other allegations in Garry Lyons's two-man play, Cooper was a skin-flint, forever afflicted with wallet shyness at the bar. There is, however, a hint of bias and even the distant sound of axe-grinding in a show derived from the memoirs of Cooper's forgotten early comedy partner Frankie Lyons, who happens to be the author's dad.

As usual with bio-pics of famous comedians, Cooper turns out not to have been a barrel of laughs. But despite dissing the fez-topped comic's memory, the play remains a riotous celebration of his talent. Lyons's occasionally anachronistic script, set in post-war Egypt, is jam-packed with Cooper's Christmas-cracker style of comedy and magic tricks. But, while Cooper is presented as an on-stage genius, off-stage he is seen as a ruthless, morose, churlish, sulking, drunken prima-donna. But, "fez fair", and Lyons senior confesses his lesser talent, allowing himself to be pushed around as Cooper's bullied stooge.

Laurie Sansom's touring production on Sara Perks's design is redolent of the It Ain't Half Hot Mum atmosphere of ENSA, the British army's entertainment corps. Christopher Brand's physical similarity to the huge, flipper-footed Cooper is complimented by his rendition of his voice - bunged-up cockney projected through gritted teeth as though ventriloquising. Ben Fox, as the scrawny fall-guy Frankie Lyons, is no less impressive, excelling at Norman Wisdom-type slapstick. Although needlessly strung out, this is a gutsy, Hull Truck kind of performance and what Frankie says of Tommy is equally true of the show: "He did exactly what he set out to do and did it brilliantly".

Frankie and Tommy

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