A man who watched Tommy Cooper collapse and die on stage during a live performance has described the chilling evening that remains firmly lodged in his memory.
Cooper died of a massive heart attack on 15 April 1984, at the age of 63. In a dramatic fall, he toppled backwards against the curtain and slid to the floor. Shockingly, the audience believed it was part of the act and laughed and applauded along. However, the producers swiftly sensed something was amiss and he was dragged behind the curtain so that CPR could be given while the show continued.
Viewers witnessed the comedy legend's legs twitching as the harrowing scene unfolded during the Live From Her Majesty's TV show, broadcast live by London Weekend Television on ITV.
Director's instant concern
Comedy scriptwriter Nigel Crowle was overseeing the transmission at the time and said his colleague knew "instantly something was wrong", according to John Flemming, reports the Daily Star.
Nigel said: "I was working for the Presentation Department at BBC Television Centre that night, actually running transmission in Pres B, so – as you can imagine – all TV screens were tuned to either BBC 1 or BBC 2. I remember being frustrated that everybody else seemed to have been watching the show live whereas I was cueing up a trail for something like The Two Ronnies."
"In the 1990s, however, I remember talking to Alasdair Macmillan about that night – he had been directing the show. Alasdair said it was one of the worst nights of his life. He knew instantly that something was wrong because Tommy had collapsed mid-act, so they cut to the commercial break early."
Audience member's account
John recalled that his friend Anne O'Nimus witnessed the comedy legend being carried off the stage.
Anne said: "I was there in the theatre that night, standing at the back of the Circle. Bearing in mind that Her Majesty's is a small theatre, I had a good view but wasn't close or behind the curtains. I never found Tommy Cooper amusing – I never 'got' his act – so I wasn't laughing and, perhaps because of that, as soon as I saw him collapse, I thought he was ill.
"I remember him falling back, clutching at the curtains and falling through them until I could just see his legs twitching and the audience continued to laugh not knowing that he was dying as his legs twitched through the curtain. I think he was either dragged fully back through the curtains or the curtains were arranged in front of him. I mainly remember the twitching legs and realising immediately that the man was ill whilst people around me were laughing and thinking it was part of the act."
Compere's traumatic experience
Jeff Stevenson said: "The curtains closed and Jimmy Tarbuck, who was the compere, had to stand on stage in front of the curtains filling-in to the audience. He told me later that, as he was talking, he could hear them hitting Tommy's chest behind the curtain, trying to revive him – and Tommy was one of Jimmy's heroes. Terrible, terrible."
Nigel Crowle added: "Then – and this is where in retrospect they should never have returned to the show during live transmission – they made Les Dennis go on with Dustin Gee and do their Mavis and Vera (characters from Coronation Street) routine in front of the curtain, whilst attempts were made behind them to revive Tommy."
