POLICE COPS: THE ORIGINAL - Assembly George Square (19/08/25)

Slick, screwy and unashamedly brash, American cops have never been funnier!

Police parody media is certainly not a new concept, with everything from Hot Fuzz to Starsky and Hutch delivering big laughs at the expense of every corner of the law enforcement spectrum, as they are playfully ridiculed to hysterical effect. Prior to the 2023 musical version of this American cop spoof came this one act, one hour long straight comedy, written and performed by Zachary Hunt, Nathan Parkinson and Tom Roe, who now return to Edinburgh with the original, unpolished version of the show that has since become such a hit.

"Police Cops" exhibits many of the tropes adopted by other similar cop parodies, such as the mismatched "buddy cops" of the inexperienced rookie, and the "cowboy cop" who bends the rules to his will, as well as a personal loss spurring our hero on to become the "best damn police cop there ever was", however the way in which these are presented is with a considerable degree of wit, silliness and madcap merriment. Additionally the low-budget nature of the show is another huge part of its appeal, as it fully embraces this lack of polish and leans heavily into it, to delightfully humorous effect.

Zachary Hunt, Nathan Parkinson and Tom Roe

The overriding narrative itself is the quintessential police pastiche, main character lacks confidence in his dead end service job, sees a family member killed in front of him, vows to get revenge, so joins the police to bring the killer to justice. On the most basic level, it works well as a standard cop show spoof, when you throw in the and fourth wall-breaking winks to the audience,

Hunt, Parkinson and Roe are all terrifically talented comic actors, and with a working relationship that has stood the test of time, their on-stage chemistry feels remarkably natural, the three of them working off one another magnificently, especially in the ad-libbed moments where we get to experience their wonderful improvisational abilities. And though these moments are clearly played off as crude, almost uncomfortable, they never feel out of place or awkward, and it is always hilarious seeing comic performers trying to break each other's character.

For those of us familiar with the musical, the Police Cops trio have taken the show back to its roots, with a marvellous mix of pre-written comedy and improvisation, performed to a distinctly simplified backdrop. There are plenty of fringe productions that fully embrace, and relish in, their low-budget presentation, but few others manage this with such a degree of fun as the Police Cops guys. Ten years after its first premiere, this show is still so brilliantly silly, goofy and over-the-top, and the laughter they elicit is something this world really needs right now.

★★★★☆

"Police Cops: The Original" runs until the 25th of August (tickets)

{PR/Gifted tickets}