Three of Britain’s comedy icons walk into a dressing room – and take the audience on a nostalgic trip down memory lane in The Last Laugh at the Grand Opera House York this week.
Fresh from the West End, a stint on off–Broadway, and now embarking on a UK tour, The Last Laugh, written and directed by Paul Hendy is set to bring even more laughs around the country.
The production was inspired by Paul’s love of comedy, and reimagines the lives of three of Britain’s all-time greatest comedy heroes – Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse.
The Last Laugh is at the Grand Opera House York from Tuesday 10 to Saturday 14 June.
From the beginning, the play has the audience in the palm of its hand as Tommy Cooper (Damian Williams) appears on stage in his underwear, huge chicken feet, and trademark fez.
He’s then joined on stage by Bob Monkhouse (Simon Cartwright), and Eric Morecambe (Bob Golding), and the jokes and laughs come thick and fast – with barely any time to breathe as we cycle through a non-stop gag-fest of their beloved jokes, impressions, magic tricks, and even a song or two.
For the three actors, this isn’t the first time they’ve played these comedy greats, and you can tell – their mannerisms and vocal tics are honed to a fine art, in fact director and writer Paul specifically chose them to portray the trio. You could readily believe that we really have travelled back in time to their heyday, and are seeing the real deal before our eyes.
It’s not all a barrel of laughs though, and there’s plenty of moments of poignancy as the three ponder on what legacy they may leave behind – if any at all. The physical and mental toll of the pressure to perform, to be funny all the time, is cleverly accentuated by lighting design from Johanna Town and sound design by Callum Wills.
Whether you guess where the play is heading to or not, the somber tone it turns to gives an even greater appreciation to the art of comedy and what it takes. Is it slightly sentimental and indulgent? Yes, but you can’t help but be swept up in it all.
After the 80-minute play, what follows is a Q and A session, with the opportunity to submit your questions during the interval. The actors, and director Paul, reemerge onto the stage as themselves, stripped of their character-defining costumes.
It’s touching to hear of their own personal connections to the men that they play, of growing up watching these great comedians with parents and grandparents – and you realise every person in the audience will have their own similar story to share.
I certainly remember my parents sitting my brother and I down to watch Morecambe & Wise repeats, and to this day the iconic ‘I’m playing all the right notes—but not necessarily in the right order’ is a recurring joke in our household (as you can imagine, this joke gets a round of applause in the play). It’s a wonderful reminder of how laughter can connect us together.
There was also a lovely moment where some more icons of British comedy, Paul Chuckle and Tommy Cannon who were in the audience on opening night, were given a shoutout from the stage. The resounding cheer from the audience further cements the enduring love and fondness we hold for comedy and the heroes that made, and continue to make, us laugh.
Director Paul said that he hopes ‘The Last Laugh brings some of the joy and laughter that these three men brought to so many’ – judging by the reaction from the audience on opening night, I think they’re well on their way.
The Last Laugh is at the Grand Opera House until Saturday 14 June. Tickets start from £15 and are available here.