Tommy Cooper, Bob Monkhouse and Eric Morecambe may not be familiar names to this generation, but to people of a certain age they are icons, cultural touchstones, even, that remind them of better times. Happier times. Paul Hendy’s play brings them together in the tatty dressing room of a theatre somewhere, for one last performance, one last laugh.
The play opens in a dingy dressing room with flickering lights and echoes of audience laughter from comedians of a bygone age. Suddenly, the stage blacks out, but the lights snap straight back on to reveal Tommy Cooper (Damian Williams) standing centre stage in his trademark fez, vest, underpants and oversized rubber chicken feet. He looks bemused, confused, as if he doesn’t know where he is. But that was always part of Cooper’s act. Williams captures Cooper’s voice, facial expressions and mannerisms to perfection, even exuding his stage presence. Just a look or a shuffle of the hands has the audience in stitches. Props that didn’t work were a staple of Cooper’s act, and here Williams excels again with a wooden duck and a white gate. Yes, a white gate.
An unsettling crackle makes the lights flicker in a time-travelly sort of way, heralding a knock at the door. In walks a perma-tanned Bob Monkhouse (Simon Cartwright), dressed in a pink shirt and cardigan, slacks and white loafers. Full marks to costume designer Amy Chamberlain for nailing Monkhouse’s look. He sits at the dressing table and unpacks his famous handwritten books that contained a lifetime of jokes and sketches. Monkhouse and Cooper begin to discuss comedy, what makes people laugh. Monkhouse says he uses a metaphorical chisel to craft his jokes but sees Cooper as a naturally funny comedian who can make an audience laugh by just standing still. For me, Cartwright’s portrayal of Monkhouse was at least the equal of Williams’s Cooper. There is less to work with than Cooper, so he had to be more nuanced. His voice and mannerisms were so convincing that you felt he inhabited the role. Later we learn that Williams was coached by Monkhouse himself, which likely explains his uncanny portrayal.
More time-travelly sounds follow, and another knock on the door announces Eric Morecambe (Bob Golding), dressed in a long overcoat and flat cap. He’s surprised to see Cooper and Monkhouse, but pleased,nonetheless. Golding is faultless in capturing the essence of his character. The three great comedians start talking about their lives, what they’ve sacrificed to get where they are, and continue their reflections on comedy. The ‘sad clown’ trope is clear. The laughs, though, come thick and fast, and there are some extremely famous jokes with punchlines the audience sees coming, but they still laugh as if it’s the first time they’ve heard them. The telling of one Monkhouse joke by each comedian in their own style was proof that if something is funny, it’s funny.
Whilst the back-and-forth is going on, the comedians change for their show. Cooper believes he’s at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London, while Morecambe thinks he’s at The Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury. Monkhouse isn’t sure where he is, so he picks up a paper, the front page of which carries a headline about Cooper’s death. It’s obvious to Monkhouse now what is happening, and he points out that the portraits on the dressing room wall are of comedians who have passed away. The stage blacks out again, and when the lights come up Cooper is alone. He knows now that he is stepping out on stage for the last time, for the last laugh.
The second half of the show was a lively Q&A hosted by Richard Hodder, during which the actors spoke about their affection for the characters and their love of the play.
This worked beautifully and would be well suited to different comedians or comediennes. The play with Victoria Wood, Caroline Ahern and Marti Caine for example would be an original twist.
The Last Laugh runs at the Playhouse Theatre through to Saturday 27th September 2025. A link for booking tickets is below.
https://everymanplayhouse.com/event/the-last-laugh/
Written & Directed by Paul Hendy
Set Design by Lee Newby
Lighting Design by Johanna Town
Sound Design by Callum Willis
Technical Supervisor Stuart Relph
Music by Ethan Lewis Maltby
Wigs by Craig Forrest-Thomas
Costume Design by Amy Chamberlain
Creative Producer: Emily Wood
General Management: Jamie Wilson Productions
Casting Director Kate Roddy
Production Management Dan Kay
Reviewer – Adrian Cork
On – 23.09.2025
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