GLASGOW just can't get enough of Jewish humour.

 

That's why upcoming Mel Brooks' comedy musical The Producers is almost guaranteed to sell out.

"Glaswegians seem to love the Jewish comic sensibility," says Cory English, who stars in the show as producer Max Bialystock.

"I know there are is a big Jewish population in the city, but there's more to it than that.

"The Scots seem to like the very dark humour. They love jokes that come out of the darkness, out of the recesses of the human condition.

"And in that sense, they have a great deal in common with New York Jews."

It's long been established Glasgow loves dark American comedy, evidenced in sitcom audience figures for shows such as Frasier and Taxi.

The fan base for Jewish writers and performers such as Woody Allen, Neil Simon and Phil Silvers - who exist in a world of clever cynicism is huge.

And while the Producers is a hilariously funny, the laughter certainly emerges out of the darkness.

The theatre show, based on Brooks' hit movie starring Gene Wilder, Nathan Lane and Zero Mostel tells the story of conniving producer Max who's out there 'shtupping every little old lady in New York' into buying into his new show, Springtime For Hitler.

What the little old ladies don't know is the show is designed to be a failure.

But of course failure can sometimes be hard to achieve.

"It is a very dark story," says a smiling Cory of the show, which also stars comedian Jason Manford as accountant Leo Bloom.

"When you think about it, this is the story of a couple of desperate conmen."

Cory English is the man to wring laughs out of every opportunity.

The native New Yorker, who has starred in west end hits such as Guys and Dolls and the New York production of Young Frankenstein, has comedy bones.

"I began as a dancer," he explains, smiling in the knowing he looks more like a pizza delivery man.

"However, one day I had a realisation; I knew that I didn't have a dancer's body and that one day I'd be fat.

"I'd dance my balls off in shows such as Damn Yankees yet at the same time I knew I liked my beer and roasts, so I figured I'd better think about acting.

"And one day I looked at Nathan Lane on the Broadway stage and thought 'I think I want to do that'."

Cory continued to dance yet continued to watch and learn, from the likes of Whoopi Goldberg and Tyne Daly.

In 1998, he moved to England to study classical theatre at the Drama Studio London in Ealing and met his future wife, British actress Eva Alexander.

Cory taught Modern dance at the north London Theatre school before clinching the hugely coveted Bialystock role at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

"I didn't see myself as Max because I usually play the little guy with the high energy in roles such as Barnaby Tucker in Hello Dolly," he admits.

"But the director realised Max is that guy. He IS manic. And I guess I am too."

*The Producers, the King's Theatre, June 15-20.