Update May - June 2013: Reviews of Being Tommy Cooper on tour
Blackpook Gazette: "Highly recommended and a thought-provoking portrayal of a man who will always be loved by millions, yet wasn’t quite what he seemed."
Peterborough Telegraph: "Tommy Cooper was a one-off. Much-copied but nevertheless unique. A man who could have an audience in stitches just by walking on stage. That Damian Williams matched that feat simply by donning his fez and walking to the front of the spotlit Key Theatre stage last night, is testament to both the writing (by Tom Green) of Being Tommy Cooper and the talent of the show’s star."
The Southern Daily Echo: "This revealing new play is forensically accurate"
The Derbyshire Times: "Super trouper Damian Williams triumphs in Being Tommy Cooper."
The Stage: "Tom Green explores the tension between Cooper’s stage persona and the man himself. [Damian] Williams has an uncanny control of the audience, used to great effect during a scene in the second half - where he gets increasingly drunk and aggressive - in which he begins a magic trick, turns backstage and says, “They’re not laughing”, then turns to the audience to ask “why aren’t you laughing?”. Increasingly intense, he asks us to understand how hard it is being Tommy Cooper. You can hear a pin drop."
The Public Reviews: "[Damian Williams'] characterisation of Cooper is a triumph... This production pulls no punches in its portrayal of Cooper and is well worth catching on tour."
What's on Stage: "The play is full of great comedy but also some high drama...a must see for fans of Cooper."
York Press: "...a fascinating insight into how one man can simultaneously be a national hero and his own worst enemy"
Update March 2013: Being Tommy Cooper will be on tour across the UK throughout May and June 2013.
Full details: www.beingtommycooper.co.uk.
For updates see @tommytour on Twitter.
Update 11.7.12: Being Tommy Cooper has received four nominations for the OffWestEnd.com Theatre Awards (Offies): Best New Play, Best Production, Best Male Actor (Damian Williams), Best Male Actor (James Benson)
Update: Being Tommy Cooper's run at The Old Red Lion Theatre in London has now been extended until 21 July.
Being Tommy Cooper Reviews
★★★★★ - Watford Observer / St Albans Review
"One of the most stunning evenings I have spent in the theatre. Entertaining, funny and a fascinating insight into a Tommy Cooper that we knew far less about...Damian Williams performance as Tommy blew me away."
★★★★★ - Saul Reichlin for Remotegoat
"Tom Green's brilliant, excoriating portrait of the essential Tommy Cooper. An unforgettable performance [from Damian Williams]...a marvellous production, it is all there before you. Just like that. A must-see."
★★★★★ - One Stop Arts
"This is West-End, National Theatre virtuosity. Even if you're not a Tommy Cooper fan or you know little about his work, this show is a must-see."
★★★★★ - Aline Waites for Remotegoat
"Totally rivetting...an extremely enjoyable evening"
British Theatre Guide
"The joy of director Cecily Boys’s visualisation of Tom Green’s bold new play is the feeling of actually watching a ‘show’. Of experiencing first-hand the strangely alluring mix of magic and comedy. Of watching the late, great Tommy Cooper....[Damian] Williams, like the Cooper we know and love, can make us laugh by just walking on stage. Yet the actor also carries a brooding shadow, like the Cooper behind closed doors, which constantly hints at an interior conflict—an angle played by Williams with great sympathy and style...While brave in its mission, Being Tommy Cooper is a slick, emotive and thoroughly entertaining portrait of one of the most popular comics of the 20th century."
Twitter
Here are some of the comments about the play on Twitter, via Storify: http://storify.com/tngee/being-tommy-cooper
Blackpook Gazette: "Highly recommended and a thought-provoking portrayal of a man who will always be loved by millions, yet wasn’t quite what he seemed."
Peterborough Telegraph: "Tommy Cooper was a one-off. Much-copied but nevertheless unique. A man who could have an audience in stitches just by walking on stage. That Damian Williams matched that feat simply by donning his fez and walking to the front of the spotlit Key Theatre stage last night, is testament to both the writing (by Tom Green) of Being Tommy Cooper and the talent of the show’s star."
The Southern Daily Echo: "This revealing new play is forensically accurate"
The Derbyshire Times: "Super trouper Damian Williams triumphs in Being Tommy Cooper."
The Stage: "Tom Green explores the tension between Cooper’s stage persona and the man himself. [Damian] Williams has an uncanny control of the audience, used to great effect during a scene in the second half - where he gets increasingly drunk and aggressive - in which he begins a magic trick, turns backstage and says, “They’re not laughing”, then turns to the audience to ask “why aren’t you laughing?”. Increasingly intense, he asks us to understand how hard it is being Tommy Cooper. You can hear a pin drop."
The Public Reviews: "[Damian Williams'] characterisation of Cooper is a triumph... This production pulls no punches in its portrayal of Cooper and is well worth catching on tour."
What's on Stage: "The play is full of great comedy but also some high drama...a must see for fans of Cooper."
York Press: "...a fascinating insight into how one man can simultaneously be a national hero and his own worst enemy"
Update March 2013: Being Tommy Cooper will be on tour across the UK throughout May and June 2013.
Full details: www.beingtommycooper.co.uk.
For updates see @tommytour on Twitter.
Update 11.7.12: Being Tommy Cooper has received four nominations for the OffWestEnd.com Theatre Awards (Offies): Best New Play, Best Production, Best Male Actor (Damian Williams), Best Male Actor (James Benson)
Update: Being Tommy Cooper's run at The Old Red Lion Theatre in London has now been extended until 21 July.
Being Tommy Cooper Reviews
★★★★★ - Watford Observer / St Albans Review
"One of the most stunning evenings I have spent in the theatre. Entertaining, funny and a fascinating insight into a Tommy Cooper that we knew far less about...Damian Williams performance as Tommy blew me away."
★★★★★ - Saul Reichlin for Remotegoat
"Tom Green's brilliant, excoriating portrait of the essential Tommy Cooper. An unforgettable performance [from Damian Williams]...a marvellous production, it is all there before you. Just like that. A must-see."
★★★★★ - One Stop Arts
"This is West-End, National Theatre virtuosity. Even if you're not a Tommy Cooper fan or you know little about his work, this show is a must-see."
★★★★★ - Aline Waites for Remotegoat
"Totally rivetting...an extremely enjoyable evening"
British Theatre Guide
"The joy of director Cecily Boys’s visualisation of Tom Green’s bold new play is the feeling of actually watching a ‘show’. Of experiencing first-hand the strangely alluring mix of magic and comedy. Of watching the late, great Tommy Cooper....[Damian] Williams, like the Cooper we know and love, can make us laugh by just walking on stage. Yet the actor also carries a brooding shadow, like the Cooper behind closed doors, which constantly hints at an interior conflict—an angle played by Williams with great sympathy and style...While brave in its mission, Being Tommy Cooper is a slick, emotive and thoroughly entertaining portrait of one of the most popular comics of the 20th century."
Here are some of the comments about the play on Twitter, via Storify: http://storify.com/tngee/being-tommy-cooper
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