The best damn sequel ever
★★★★★
The award-winning tenacious trio of Zachary Hunt, Nathan Parkinson and Tom Roe are back, reviving the sequel to their hugely popular Police Cops, which undertook back-to-back runs at each of the Southwark Playhouses. The slapstick homage to classic 80s cop and sci-fi films is once again a masterstroke of comedic brilliance. Armed with a hodgepodge collection of makeshift props, a genius script and exquisitely silly performances these boys are experts within their wonderful niche.
Loosely continuing on from the tales of the best damn Police Cop Jimmy Johnson, this latest outing, first seen at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017, sees Jimmy’s son Sammy out to avenge his late father who died at the hands of a killer robot adorned with a swimming cap. With his father’s immense legacy bearing down upon him, can he fulfil his destiny of becoming the best damn Police Cop in space ever?
The ensemble dabble in all the tropes of the 80s big screen, toying with the likes of Back to the Future, Terminator and Bladerunner, somehow bottling the essence and extracting the humour with an utmost and obvious love for the genre. Hunt, Parkinson and Roe revel in the madness of their production, catching each other out with absurd yet brilliant improvisation and are positively gleeful when moments humorously don’t quite go to plan. Their effervescence and energy are the rocket fuel that propels their work way beyond the stratosphere.
As Sammy Johnson fights alongside his partner Ranger the pilot, we are treated to numerous dance breaks and slow-mo fight sequences, each punctuated with top-tier physicality and utterly inventive stagecraft. Who knew a few LEDs attached to a skipping rope would create such a great visual representation of hyperspace travel and two spinning glow sticks could create a Tron bike? But don’t be fooled by the (excellently) cobbled-together costumes and props, this production is precise and intelligent in its execution. Always in sync, the three men are masters in this space, initially dabbling with parody but far exceeding it with each and every powerhouse punchline.
There is plenty of material here for the sequel to have the same musical treatment as its predecessor down the line and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the original back and bigger than ever in the future. But whatever these three do next, you can guarantee that I’ll be there ticket in hand. I need more!
Running until 18th August - Tickets
Photography - Adam Bottomeley