Cook tribute is barrel of laughs

Comedy benefits have been having a hard time lately. Earlier this month, Jerry Lewis was due to headline a Palladium show before suddenly collapsing. Maybe the shock of seeing rows of empty seats affected his health. No such problems last night, when a full house and an impressive line-up not only paid homage to Peter Cook but also raised money for children with learning difficulties.

From Sir David Frost's gushing intro to a rousing farewell of Pete and Dudley Moore's theme tune Goodby-ee, the dial was set to apolitical. Cook's satirical legacy had the night off. American Greg Proops's Bush-as-bumpkin bunkum was too long-winded. Dead Ringers Impressionist Jon Culshaw, a condensed Rory Bremner, did a better, briefer Dubya, while Jimmy Carr proved his Perrier nomination was no fluke with straight-faced one-liners as polished as his shoes.

The old guard was the main attraction. Director Terry Jones and Michael Palin coasted through some Python gags while Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson started the second half emphatically as pungent pratfallers Richie and Eddie from Bottom. But the most intriguing moments were the recreations of Cook's material. David Baddiel and Jonathan Ross plainly enjoyed being Derek and Clive, though still resorted to the autocue to recall their expletives. The BBC was filming, but the bleeper will overheat if their flat-capped banter makes it to television.

Elsewhere, Griff Rhys Jones and Clive Anderson corpsed their way through a chaotic Great Train Robbery rehash before going offscript and conceding that the oncetopical asides were past their tell-by date. Harry Enfield fared far better as Mr Grole, a nasal, nerdy and slightly sinister early incarnation of EL Wisty, who informed Angus Deayton that he had a viper in a cardboard box.

The only real disappointment was the climax. Engaging prankster Dom Joly and Deayton rattled through the legendary routine featuring a one-legged man auditioning for Tarzan - "I've nothing against your right leg. The trouble is, neither have you," - as if terrified of missing last orders. Underdone rather than Cooked to perfection, the lingering aftertaste was of a great show that was a rehearsal away from being an unforgettable one.

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