Magicians aid Cooper theatre bid

Sir Anthony Hopkins impersonated Tommy Cooper at the unveiling

Magicians are putting on a show in Tommy Cooper's home town to help campaigners hoping to open a theatre named after the comic legend.

The Magic Circle event in Caerphilly will raise funds for the Tommy Cooper Society's next project.

The society raised £45,000 to erect a 9ft (2.7m) bronze statue that was unveiled in the town last month by fez-clad Cooper fan, Anthony Hopkins.

Friday night's show will feature magicians from across the country.

The society's secretary Tudor Jones explained that Cooper had been a member of the Magic Circle and was one of their icons.

Cooper memorabilia is displayed at their London headquarters.

The organisation had offered to stage the Stars of the Magic Circle show which will be held in the Caerphilly Workmen's Hall on Friday evening.

It will be renamed the Tommy Cooper Theatre for the night and is also one of the places being considered as a possible permanent home for such a venue.

He used magic as a vehicle for his style of comedy - he was also very good magician David Ball, secretary of the Magic Circle

Mr Jones said: "The statue is up. Our next objective is to increase involvement by local people, particularly youngsters and disabled people, in the performing arts.

"One of the things we're looking to establish is a Tommy Cooper Theatre."

The society would like to put on more shows, he said, and ultimately have a venue for acts like choirs and bands.

Cooper's ability as a magician was often overshadowed by his comedic talents, according to Mr Jones.

He said: "He was considered to be a clown-type magician, because things always went wrong. As far as the Magic Circle was concerned, they thought he was wonderful

"They realised how difficult it is to get things wrong deliberately. Occasionally he'd get a real cracker right and look surprised. He was a master craftsman."

Magic Circle secretary David Ball is compering Friday's show, and coincidentally was Cooper's bank manager for many years.

He was even treated to a personal display of a Cooper trick when he took five blank pieces of paper from his pocket, folded and unfolded them and turned them into five £20 notes.

"He said 'I thought that was the right trick to show a bank manager'," said Mr Ball.

Miner's son Cooper was born in Caerphilly in 1921

Mr Ball, who had attended the unveiling, said it would be the first time the Magic Circle had put on a show in Wales.

He said: "Tommy Cooper was a prominent member of the Magic Circle for many years. In a way we're doing it in honour of him."

"He used magic as a vehicle for his style of comedy. He was also very good magician. He was something special."

He added: "I always quote the case of Les Dawson playing the piano badly. It's more difficult to do that than play the right notes. I think you can liken that to Tommy Cooper."

The show will feature magicians from Liverpool and Manchester in each half with displays of close-up magic during the interval.