The Last Laugh
Review by Sam
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐️
Written and Directed by Paul Hendy, this hilarious new play reimagines the lives of three of Britain’s all time greatest comedy legends - Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse.
Celebrating the golden age of comedy, The Last Laugh brings to life comedic icons of a bygone era, as Cooper, Morecambe and Monkhouse meet in a dressing room to prepare for an upcoming show. This 80 minute whirlwind of a production cleverly masks the reason for this fictionalised encounter through a phenomenally well written and deeply layered script from Hendy. His script cleverly showcases a true admiration for these heroes of comedy, paying tribute to them through an often touching piece of theatre.
As both a writer and director, Hendy has crafted a tour-de-force production, perfectly encapsulating the characterisations of these iconic comedians whilst also humanising them to show audiences a peak behind the curtain. His work delves deep into the psyche of these national treasures in an deeply moving manner, with the final act in particular being incredibly heartfelt, as the curtain closes on the final chapter of these characters lives.
The performances from all three lead actors are worthy of the comedy greats themselves, as they pay beautiful homage to these much loved icons. They effortlessly bring to life their characters through truly incredible performances which allows for some of their greatest comedy moments to come to be re-created, whilst also maintaining a grounded sensibility to these performers. Whilst Bob Golding and Simon Cartwright give beautifully nuanced performances, it was Damian Williams who arguably ended up stealing the show. His portrayal of Tommy Cooper was met to rapturous laughter throughout, as he encapsulates the essence of Cooper whilst anchoring the narrative of this story.
The Last Laugh is a beautifully British celebration of the golden age of comedy. With a killer script and hugely impressive performances, the show nostalgically emulates some of the all time comedy greats in a masterful way which Bob, Eric and Tommy themselves would have been proud of.