New Tommy Cooper show at the Lantern

This week sees the premiere of a brand new festive show about one of the UK's comedy greats.The Tommy Cooper Christmas Special, by local playwright Ian Carroll, is on at the Lantern theatre from today (Monday) until Saturday, December 21, and stars Danny Taylor as Tommy, Sharon Byatt as Gwen Cooper, and Warwick Evans as the comic’s long-suffering manager Miff Ferrie.Both Danny Taylor and Warwick Evans are coming to the show straight from the national touring production of mega-hit musical Blood Brothers, where Danny played Sammy, the scallywag older brother of the unfortunate twins at the heart of the story, a role he has been returning to for 14 years. He also played Smee opposite Henry Winkler in Peter Pan at the Empire, this time four years ago. Warwick Evans is the original and current narrator of Blood Brothers, having recently returned to the show to celebrate its 22nd anniversary run.Taylor also played the part of John Lennon in One Bad Thing – the murder of John Lennon, Carroll’s debut drama that returned to the Actor’s Studio theatre this summer.The Tommy Cooper Christmas Special is written and produced by Ian Carroll, who also penned Adolf in Toxteth, and it is directed by Bernie C. Byrnes, currently artist in residence at the Theatre Royal in Portsmouth. The play is endorsed by the family and estate of Tommy Cooper, and has the support of the Tommy Cooper Society.There are matinee and evening performances every day, with tickets available from thelanternliverpool.co.uk or 0151 703 0000.