by Ed Fortune

On the face of it, Police Cops should be an easy sell; a madcap musical comedy that pokes as much fun as it can at 1980s-style American action movies. It’s a rapid, slapstick-style affair decided to cram as many sight gags and puns into about an hour as possible.

Alas, it is not The Naked Gun, even though that’s a clear influence, preferring to either yell out punchlines or throw things at the audience rather than actually be funny. This show just feels like it’s exhausted itself; a version of Police Cops has been around since 2016, and there’s a real vibe that the performers are just going through the motions.

This is a shame because the actors themselves are very fun; Zachary Hunt, as the earnest and dumb Jimmy Johnson, for example, sparkles on the stage, and the running gag that he keeps getting his shirt off, revealing his very beach-ready torso, is much appreciated. Nathan Parkinson has an impressive range as all the villains and interim characters. It’s very well cast, but it just lacks a certain sparkle. 

Police Cops is funny, silly and mostly relies on slapstick. But it’s also quite lazy; the jokes rely a little bit too much on prior knowledge or punching down, half the plot involves American attitudes to Mexico in some way, and though this is all clearly intended as a parody of its genre, the jokes are rather hit and miss. This is a real shame as there are some moments of genius here, but just not enough. It’s almost a police-themed panto at times. 

Police Cops is not a bad show; it’s still wildly popular, and you’ll probably get a few laughs from it, but with so many shows out there right now, you have better options. 

 Police Cops is showing at the Edinburgh Fringe until the 28th. Tickets can be found here.