Eli Woods


Eli Woods born John Casey, was an English comedian and comic actor, born in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, possibly best known for his work with stage comedian Jimmy James, and particularly for his part in the famous 'elephant-in-the-box' routine.
Jimmy James developed his famous act over many years, but from the first it required two 'stooges'. One was John "Jack" Casey—tall and stick-thin, with a bony face and a stammering delivery—who originally appeared as "Bretton Woods", and only later redubbed as "Eli" Woods. The other stooge, 'Hutton Conyers' would be played either by members of the Casey family - including, on occasion, James Casey - or by Roy Castle. Much later, Woods was in the support cast of Castles in the Air, a comedy series on BBC Radio 2.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Woods featured in two Eddie Braben scripted comedy shows: The Show With Ten Legs and The Show with No Name. Both shows harked back to the music hall tradition. As a performer, Woods turned his lifelong stutter to his advantage, using it to comic effect in many contexts. For many years active as a stage and radio performer, Woods also appeared in a number of television comedies, as well as playing small parts in a variety of films including A Private Function released in 1984.
Although Woods's birth name was John Casey, he was better known to his family as Jack. He died at home in Stockton-on-Tees in the early hours of Thursday 1 May 2014, aged 91.

Selected filmography