Spoon, Jar, Jar, Spoon Review

In the end, as with most great humour, it's impossible to pin down why Cooper was funny, and Brydon didn't try. I guess that's part of the beauty of humour - there's no point in analysing it.

Spoon, Jar, Jar, Spoon - The Two Sides of Tommy Cooper (Radio 4) was a great idea, looking at the comedian as a magician in particular. In its portrayal of London's specialist magic shops in the 60s and 70s, many of which were effectively private clubs for magicians, it was especially evocative.

"For a high-profile star like Tommy," said presenter Rob Brydon, "magic shops were a tantalising place to hide." Brydon went on to mention "the relaxed atmosphere, the comfy sofas, and cocktails from the small bar", all of which provoked a peeved cackle from contributor Paul Daniels. "I don't know about the cocktails," he laughed, sounding a bit stung. "I was never offered one." And those comfy sofas he pointedly remembered simply as "settees".

When the programme stuck to this angle, and resisted general assessment of Cooper, it added something new to our understanding of him. I liked hearing that he got his first magic set at the age of eight from his Aunt Lucy, and how magic-shop owners would teach and sell Cooper tricks that he then took to huge audiences. "His trick," observed Brydon sagely, "was to make magic look complicated, but entertaining look simple."

The title refers to one of Tommy Cooper's favourite tricks. But there's a subtitle to this portrait of a much-loved comedian, The Two Sides of Tommy Cooper, reflecting Cooper's fascination with the craft of magic as well as his genius for turning an apparent failure at it into a great stage act. We hear (as you may have gathered from the incessant trailers) from other stage magicians about how serious you have to be about the business to turn it into laughter. Discover the people and places where magic is a trade. Rob Brydon presents.

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