9th November, 2024

The Very Best of Tommy Cooper

Magic Circle, London

A nicely put together compilation of some of the great Tommy Cooper’s finest material. The performance by Taylor however was somewhat laboured, with some lines mis-spoken and laughter added inappropriately which served only to elongate the slow pace overall; a pace which showed how Taylor could not hold an audience in a pause like the master could. Part of Cooper’s genius was his ability to get laughs by doing nothing; a skill Taylor sadly doesn’t share, and in his hands the show felt long and slow. That said, the material was sound and I was happy to hear the jokes performed once again. It was a valiant effort but Taylor would always be on the back foot in the sizeable shoes of a legend like Cooper.