Eli Woods
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Eli Woods is an English comedian and comic actor, born in Stockton-on-Tees, possibly best known for his work with stage comedian Jimmy James (in reality his uncle), and particularly for his part in the famous 'elephant-in-the-box' routine.[1] Woods's birth name is actually Jack Casey.
Jimmy James developed his famous act over many years, but from the first it required two 'stooges'. One was Jack Casey—tall and stick-thin, with a bony face and a stammering delivery—who originally appeared as 'Bretton Woods' (named after the site of the famous 1944 United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference), and was only later christened Eli (often 'Our Eli').[2] The other stooge, 'Hutton Conyers' would be played either by members of the Casey family or (from 1956 to 1959) by the young Roy Castle.
During the late seventies and early eighties, Woods starred in Eddie Braben's BBC radio comedy shows 'The Show With Ten Legs' (26 episodes, 1978–1980) and 'The Show with No Name' (13 episodes, 1982–84). Both shows harked back to the music-hall tradition.
For many years active as a stage and radio performer, Woods has also appeared in a number of television comedies, as well as playing small parts in a variety of films including A Private Function.
As a performer, Woods has turned his lifelong stutter to his advantage, using it to comic effect in many contexts.
[edit] References
- ^ Berry, Kevin (2007-04-16). "The Good Old Days II". The Stage. The Stage Newspaper. http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/16510/the-good-old-days. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
- ^ Gifford, Denis (1985). The golden age of radio: an illustrated companion. Batsford. p. 166. ISBN 0713442344. http://books.google.com/books?id=G_hkAAAAMAAJ&q=Bretton-Woods+Our-Eli&pgis=1#search_anchor. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
