Emma McAlpine finds out why the upbeat Geordie stand-up is reevaluating his life.
Jason Cook had something of a near-death experience last year, which has caused him to stop and take stock of his life. Living up to his reputation for delivering uplifting, animated comedy; Cook tells us he has made a to-do list of ways to make his life and the lives around him better. The show is loosely based on three things he’s vowed to do since his suspected heart attack which include: appreciating things that happen around him, being a better husband and making an impact on the world.
A popular compere and warm-up act, Cook is a natural at fostering a friendly atmosphere during his gigs and kicks off with some good-natured banter with a Scottish librarian in the front row, culminating in the killer line: “What do you do during an argument with your wife fella? I bet you go shhhh!” He describes various small events that have made him happy over the last year from his wife remembering his date of birth to seeing a small bloke cuddling up to his fat neighbour on a long-haul flight. Cook delights in the humanity of these situations and you can’t help but be swept away with his enthusiasm as well.
One of the things in his life he clearly appreciates more then most is his wife Claire, who he thinks is out of his league. Amusingly he’s even created an imaginary bloke she deserves to be with called Nathan, who never gets too drunk and has a civilised job as an accountant - “I hate him!” It turns out that Cook isn’t always the upbeat ray of sunshine we’ve seen and can be a demanding husband when he wants to be. A highlight of the show sees him read out an e-mail from his wife containing a list of all the examples of high-maintenance behaviour he’s indulged in recently, painting him in a whole new (amusingly childish) light.
The second half of the show is a lot stronger than the first, particularly when he gets onto making an impact on the world. He weaves a good (surprisingly touching) yarn about making a tit of himself at a production of Hairspray, but the real dynamite piece in this show is his callback finale, which demonstrates almost gasp-inducing proof of his influence over a whole country.
Here, Cook has produced a warm and earnest show that aims to celebrate life and look for the good in it. This isn't always laugh-out-loud comedy, but it might make the world seem a little bit brighter when you walk out.
Jason Cook: The End (Part 1) will be in Edinburgh at The Stand from 7th-29th August at 3pm.
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