| Ali Cook | |
|---|---|
| Born | Yorkshire, England |
| Occupation | comedian, illusionist, magician |
| Website | |
| www.AliCook.com | |
Ali Cook (also credited as Alistair Cook) is an English magician, comedian, actor and film producer originating from Yorkshire.
Cook is known best for writing and starring in seven British television magic shows for Channel 4, Channel 5, and Sky1, produced by Objective Productions.
Cook is a respected headliner on the British stand up comedy circuit. His 2010 Edinburgh show “Pieces of strange” was in the top 2% of best reviewed shows according to the British Comedy Guide and caused a sensation with a "genuinely astounding" Houdini-inspired water tank escape (Chortle review). His 2011 show Principles and Deceptions was deemed "perfection" and nominated for Broadway Baby's six-star award (Broadway Baby review).
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Cook began as a sketch actor on Jerry Sadowitz's controversial television sketch show Jerry@Trick Show before moving on to co-write and star in many high-profile TV series, including Monkey Magic (nominated for The Golden Rose of Montreux), Psychic Secrets Revealed with Derren Brown (both for Channel 5)and the Secret World of Magic for Sky One. Cook was the star of Channel Four’s critically acclaimed late night show Dirty Tricks (nominated for a British Comedy Award and The Golden Rose of Montreux). Cook starred in the first Penn & Teller: Fool Us (ITV1) hosted by Jonathan Ross. In 2011 he performed his Houdini-style water Torture Escape on The Slammer (CBBC). He has also starred in the prestigious France 2 series Le Plus Grand Cabaret du monde produced by Magic TV.
Monkey Magic played for two seasons of seven half-hour shows and a Christmas special on the Channel 5 network in the UK, commissioned by Andrew Newman. The show featured Cook and three fellow magicians showcasing their unique skills and comic personas to perform a variety of magic tricks. It was nominated for the Golden Rose D’Or comedy award.[1]
A six-part series for Channel 4, Dirty Tricks was described as "magic meets Natural Born Killers". Hosted by Barry and Stuart, the show had regular spots from Cook and the Monkey Magic boys Pete Firman and Jonathan’s Escapes. There were also appearances from international variety acts and celebrities, including Penn and Teller and Kevin James. It was nominated for a Rose D’Or Comedy award in Montreaux.
Psychic Secrets Revealed was a one-hour special and six half-hour episodes on the Five network.
Cook demonstrated a range of psychic feats such as bending keys, walking on fire, contacting the dead, spirit guides, and clairvoyance. Psychological illusionist Derren Brown and psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman then explained how these feats could be being more psychological than paranormal.
Greatest Magic Tricks in the Universe Ever was a series of six one-hour episodes on the Channel Five network.
Cook and his Monkey Magic co-stars hosted this series, which included tricks such as Horace Goldin's sawing a woman in half and David Copperfield vanishing the Statue of Liberty.
Secret World of Magic was a series of one-hour episodes on the Sky One network. Cook travelled the world with Pete Firman, interviewing notable magicians while performing on the streets of Paris, Madrid, New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Bueno Aires. The series included performances from Mac King, Juan Tamariz, and Max Maven.
Cook trained at The Second City in Chicago and Los Angeles. He has also studied at The Actors Temple with lead tutor Mark Radcliffe and been coached by Paul Gregory. He has played the lead role in ten British short film dramas, most notably the psychotic character Greg in Andrew Saunder's and Stephen Frears Striklem . In 2007 he wrote, produced and starred in his own Comedy short, The Enchanter: The Crime Fighting Magician, a spoof of 1970s detective series, directed by Adrian Vitoria. Cook has recently acted alongside Bob Hoskins, Phil Davis and Jenny Agutter in the feature film Outside Bet directed by Sacha Bennett (2011).
Cook has written and performed three critically acclaimed sell-out Edinburgh solo shows; A Touch of Vegas (2008) "Bloody brilliant" (The Scotsman), Pieces of Strange (2010) "Astoundingly impressive"(Mail on Sunday) and Principles and Deceptions (2011) "Mischief of the slickest kind" (The Daily Telegraph).
In 2011 Cook was an executive producer on the feature films Outside Bet and Dark Tide starring Halle Berry.