REVIEW - The Last Laugh is a heartwarming and glowing play capturing the glory of a bygone era of comedy dynamite

On Tuesday, we were invited to the Opera House, Manchester to see The Last Laugh. Read what our reviewer Karen Ryder had this fantastic show...

What makes someone funny?  What is that secret ingredient that can make one person commandeer your funny bones, where another would fall flat?  If anyone ever had the answers to questions such as those, it is the three comedic legends portrayed in The Last Laugh – Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper, and Bob Monkhouse.  The set up is simple, three iconic stars are backstage in a dressing room, getting ready for a show.  As they discuss their lives, their jokes, and their methods of how they extract the giggles from their respective audiences, we are privy to snippets of their best materials and given a glimpse into the person behind the curtain.  And so it is we learn about their ambition, their drive, and perhaps their biggest fears, that one day, the laughter will dry up and they won’t be remembered.  It is a heart wrenching admission as we all sit in the audience knowing their legacy is still as strong now as it ever was, and that they have solidified a place in the hearts and minds of adoring fans for generations.

These three comedians had mass appeal because they were for everyone.  They embraced the family as a whole, ensuring their shows were interwoven into the culture of us all.  Phrases of theirs have become instantly recognisable as have their quirks and set pieces such as Morecambe’s paper bag trick – a trick I was introduced to by my own dad from as early as I can remember!  And the show is full of your favourite moments from the back catalogue of these three stars.  It is beautifully put together and welcomes you into its arms from the moment you step inside the theatre.  Comedy legends that precede tonights ring through the auditorium with actual recordings of their past shows, and laughter resonates through the rafters!  You are given time to soak it all in, giggling along and your body physically melts away the stresses and worries of your day, with the comforting sound of unanimous warm laughter permeating your soul. 

As your attention is drawn to the set on stage, designed by Lee Newby, it becomes fascinating!  It is adorned with memorabilia and photos of comedy giants who paved the way for our three icons tonight.  Arthur Askey, Sid James, and George Formby are just three of those paid homage to, and as their black and white portraits hang proud amongst the coat hangers, peeling wallpaper, flickering lights, chipped sink, and old show posters, the laughter from the recordings swell, the lights flicker harder, culminating in a frenzied anticipation before it all stops dead.  Blackout.  When the lights come back on, a lone Tommy Cooper is stood centre stage, in his underwear and gigantic chicken feet – an instantly recognisable gag for any fan!  The rest, as they say, is history.  As each act enters, we are treated to some snippets of what made them household names as they cajole each other with mutual respect.  It doesn’t matter how well you know the work of these three comedians, the show is designed to work on multiple levels from diehard fan, to newbie.  I personally knew all three comedians at different levels.  Being obsessed with Morecambe and Wise for as long as I can remember, his entrance carrying a plastic leg made perfect sense to me, as did him singing all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order with his renditions of ‘Get My Kicks’ and Formby’s ‘Blackpool Rock.’

Within the first five minutes of Cooper standing on stage and splurging his daftness into the audience, I have to say, my dad made way more sense to me!  I could instantly see my dad’s influences right before my eyes and the ways in which he would try to make me laugh as a child.  And as Monkhouse enters completing the dressing room buddies, he took everyone’s breath away with his remarkable voice.  Throughout the show, we are treated to not only gag after brilliant gag, but insight into the way each of these performers worked, and how they got their laughs, from observing, to being instinctively funny, to having material written for you, to writing your own and continually chiselling away at it so it follows a tried and tested formula.  Another stand out moment is Cooper’s white gate where we are effectively given a comedy masterclass in how to find the funny in almost anything and everything.  As each star takes their turn walking through the gate, we see their different brands of comedy at play.  This theme continues throughout the show, where they take each other’s comedy and put it through their own filter to see if it would work or not.  It really is fascinating.

Bob Golding as Eric Morecambe, Damian Williams as Tommy Cooper, and Simon Cartwright as Bob Monkhouse, are wizards of comedy and are outstanding.  To say they impersonate their counterparts is entirely wrong.  They embody them, heart, soul, and mind, offering us fully formed, true and complex human beings.  Their voices, mannerisms, pauses, quirks, and spirit are mirrored with uncanny clarity, capturing these legends perfectly.  Golding, Williams, and Cartwright have undeniably spent endless hours of devotion to their subjects, and the result transforms them into their heroes.  Golding has captured the kinetic energy of Morecambe with as much conviction as he has his distinct laugh, the chewing on the end of his pipe, the unique way he even has of blinking, and he has mastered his phrasing with impeccable accuracy.  His ease of playing with vocal dynamics were beautifully in sync with the best of Morecambe’s, bringing pure comedy gold from Golding.  Williams has brought to life the slightly awkward, clumsiness Cooper had with his stature, from the way he sat, stood, walked, and held himself throughout.  The gravelly texture of his voice was superb and his command of an audience through silence, well timed looks, sighs, and breaths was outstanding.  Like Cooper, Williams just has funny bones.   Cartwright gave us the brilliance of the more reserved Monkhouse through a methodical labour of love, and as we learnt in the Q&A, with an analysis of his mannerisms and vocal deliveries, from the actual man himself!  It is no wonder then that this performance ensured that Bob Monkhouse echoed throughout the Opera House, with a voice that simply could have been his, and visually each hand gesture, touch of his shirt cuff, cough, twitch, or clap, reignited Monkhouse before our eyes.  Through these performances, we see the strengths and vulnerabilities, and public verses private personas brought to life in a genuinely heartwarming and touching way, making The Last Laugh a must for anyone who even has a slight passing interest in any one of its legends.

Richard Hodder who has the outrageously impressive job of being cover for all three performers, takes to the stage after the interval to host a Q&A with the cast, guiding us through hilarious stories and shining a light on the genuine passion, respect, and love that each individual has for the performer they portrayed.  With fascinating anecdotes, personal memories, and beguiling insight, it was a joy to watch each performer talk with such enthusiasm about their heroes, and see them not only as remarkable performers, but Bonafide fans themselves, who have intrinsically dedicated their careers to ensuring these comedy greats may be gone, but are never forgotten.  They not only gave us some great additional stories but continued the relaxed and warm atmosphere created within the show itself.  And of course, what better way to round the evening off than with a closing sing song, where they continued to provide the laughter right until the very end.    

With this show, Paul Hendy has written a love letter to three of the most adored comedians our country has ever known.  And he has cleverly woven them together in a way that still manages to offer a surprise twist at the end.  Not only is each comedian given the space and time to shine with their own brand of what makes them funny, a topic that is beautifully explored throughout, we see them support, cheerlead, and champion each other in stunning displays of comradery.  It is a touching reminder of how entertainment can be family orientated and can - as they say in the show - leave you feeling like you are wrapped in a warm hug.  Golding, Williams, and Cartwright create something special on that stage, and not just as representatives of the comedians they portray, but as performers themselves.  It is an intangible thing, yet you feel it all the same and it is powerful. 

During the Q&A they mentioned that they too have memories of watching these performers on TV as children, and though they may not have been able to remember the jokes they heard, they all remembered the laughter.  They remembered being with their families, gathered all together, and just laughing.  And so do I.  I can still feel the joy of being able to share in the jokes that made my parents laugh as we watched Tommy Cooper fool around in his fez, howled as Morecambe and Wise made breakfast to the stripper song, or Bob Monkhouse delivered a genius punchline.  That is why this is such a heartwarming and glowing play, because it is dripping with nostalgia, with happy memories, with love, and with laughter.  The Last Laugh captures the glory of a bygone era of comedy dynamite.  Thank goodness we still have some comedy giants who follow in their footsteps today of making their comedy accessible to the whole family by allowing themselves to be playful!  Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper, and Bob Monkhouse may have each made comedy in their own unique way, but what united them was an unstoppable desire to just make people laugh.  And laugh they did, and still do, so this play may be called The Last Laugh, but thanks to its wit, its brilliance, and its adulation, there is no doubt in my mind that the laughter will continue to live on indefinitely. 

WE SCORE THE LAST LAUGH...




WATCH OUR "IN CONVERSATION WITH DAMIAN WILLIAMS, WHO PLAYS TOMMY COOPER" VIDEO

The Last Laugh is on at the Opera House Manchester until Sunday 2nd August 2025.

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