REVIEW: The Last Laugh
A smash-hit West End play that imagines a meeting between three legends of British comedy comes to the West Midands.
The Last Laugh is now playing at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.
A play that first drew huge crowds at the Edinburgh Fringe and then became a massive hit in the West End is now warming up the audience on a cold autumnal night in the heart of England.
Bob Monkhouse.
Eric Morecambe.
Tommy Cooper.
Three household names that instantly evoke memories of happier and simpler times when comedy was bright, warm, intelligent and full of wit that teased the mind. The legacies of Monkhouse, Morecambe and Cooper continue to inspire comedians to this day. This trio of comedy legends were part of people’s lives through several decades, and even though they are no longer with us their material remains timeless and popular.
Writer Paul Hendy, who also directs this affectionate and nostalgic play, imagines a meeting between the three comedians and from that springboard comes a truly memorable and emotional night that transports the audience to a time and place when comedy elevated the human experience and took people on a journey through a landscape of mirth and hope during times of political, social and economical upheaval.
The play opens with the sounds of classic comedy shows from the 1970’s featuring the talents of Tommy Cooper, Bob Monkhouse and Eric Morecambe filtering across the stage which shows a dressing room where Tommy Cooper is changing when his friends Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse pay him a visit.
The three pals lounge back and share stories, songs and exchanges that are hilarious, poignant, and full of a wistfulness that reaches deep into the heart. Despite the frothy and bubbly comedy flow between the three entertainers, who are known for their very different and contrasting comedy styles, there are also discussions about the craft of creating and delivering a comedy sketch, the terror of stage fright and trying to overcome it because families up and down the country would be huddled together around the television and watching shows featuring their comedy heroes, and the transient and bittersweet nature of existence.
The laughs in this moving and engrossing play are drawn with warmth and genuine love rather than base cruelty and unkindness. There was a time when intelligence and humanity formed the foundation of a good comedy sketch, a time when the mind revelled in the comedic wordplay, and a time when the audience would pause and ponder upon life after the laughter had faded. This heartfelt play offers a rare and life-affirming glimpse into that time.
The three performers in this play are all uniformly uncanny with the way they channel the energy of the three iconic comedians. Their performances are not mere mimicry or impersonation, it is as if the spirits of the long departed comedians are inhabiting Damian Williams (Tommy Cooper), Simon Cartwright (Bob Monkhouse) and Steve Royle (Eric Morecambe).
Even before writer Paul Hendy penned this play the three talented performers who appear in this production had all previously researched and played the roles. Simon Cartwright, who plays Bob Monkhouse, had been in touch with his comedy hero for 14 years and in that time Monkhouse coached him and shared details of the various twitches and quirks of his comedy persona. Apparently, Monkhouse was an avid collector of comedy related material and amassed a vast collection of material which included everything from books, videos, programmes, plays, and even comic-books. In fact, back in the late 1970’s and into the 1980’s Bob Monkhouse was often spotted at Birmingham’s flagship comic-shop Nostlagia & Comics which stocked classic British comics such as The Beano, The Dandy, Buster, Monster Fun, The Beezer, Whoopee, Topper, and Wheezer & Chips.
Lee Newby’s set design may appear deceptively simple at first glance yet it is profoundly poetic. The single set shows the shabby interior of Tommy Cooper’s dressing room in an unnamed theatre, and in the clutter of chairs, a dresser, and amongst the odds and ends there is a wall with framed photographs of comedians such as Tony Hancock, Sidney James, Arthur Askey, etc, but one spot on the wall remains hauntingly empty because the framed picture has fallen face down onto the floor. When that photograph is placed back up on the wall at the climax of the play it packs a powerful and devastating punch that lingers in the mind.
A word for those who are planning to see this play is please return after the interval for a brilliant and thought-provoking Q&A with the three stars of the show. They share insights and anecdotes that throw more light and detail upon the production. There’s also a spectacular moment featuring a balloon and golf balls being juggled from the mouth that will make you gasp and lean forward in your chair.
The Last Laugh is a witty and unmissable comedy masterclass.
Verdict: ★★★★★
The Last Laugh is running at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre until Saturday 12th September 2026
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