Review: The Last Laugh (Noël Coward Theatre / UK Tour)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Three legendary comedians walk into a dressing room... no, that's not the setup of a joke, it's the premise for brand new play, The Last Laugh, currently enjoying four weeks in the West End as part of a UK tour. Featuring the now all sadly departed titans of their industry, would this show be able to live up to their known standard or would it prove to be a joke?

Following a sold out run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival and ahead of a season in New York, the West End gets its hands on The Last Laugh for a fleeting visit. The play sees Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse meeting in a shared dressing room before the show they are seemingly all on the bill for. As they trade stories and jokes, complimenting their craft while gently ribbing each other, you get the sense this may not be a standard show for them and there is more to the situation that meets the eye.

Using some of the three comedians’ best-loved gags, Paul Hendy has written a frequently hilarious play that will have tears streaming down your face from laughter – be it their original material or that of his own, the writing flows cohesively to create a clever yet believable situation. Hendy could have left it there and made The Last Laugh simply about the laughs – it would have still been a highly enjoyable show had that been the case. However, he has opted to make the material richer by adding a sense of poignancy to it, with the comedians’ sharing stories and concerns of a more serious nature. It could easily be jarring to switch tones that suddenly, but the skill in Hendy’s writing allows this transition to occur naturally, in a play full of surprises.

I mentioned that there is more to this story than meets the eye with the three legends preparing to play the most important show of their careers. It’s not subtle and there are clues as to what is really happening right from the opening moment. I won’t spoil exactly what it is, as everyone responds to shows differently – some figuring it out immediately, some along the way and others not realising until it is addressed at the show’s climax. Whichever camp you fall into makes no difference as the quality of the writing remains. However, the significance in a lot of the dialogue takes on a grander meaning once you understand why Cooper, Morecambe and Monkhouse are all there together.

Paul Hendy also directs the piece, finding novel ways to bring his writing to life with marvellous attention to detail in the characteristics of all three and how to balance the different aspects of the story from comedy to tragedy in one cohesive manner. Lee Newby’s brilliantly detailed set design is visually thrilling with the seemingly non-descript dressing room full of plenty of nods and easter eggs to the action taking place and the three comedians’ lives and careers itself.

You don’t have to be overly familiar with the works of the three comedians to enjoy The Last Laugh – two of them died the year I was born so my knowledge of them was limited to the few clips I had seen on TV shows. In an audience filled with people of all generations, there is something to enjoy in this show regardless of how much you know beforehand, how familiar you are with the material or even if you were a fan of their work or not. This is part of what makes The Last Laugh so special in a story far greater than a throwaway laugh – each laugh has meaning as the big questions in life are pondered and the three now legends of comedy question their legacy and how they will be remembered 40 years from now – a bit on the nose but relevant, with added poignancy as Monkhouse questions if anyone would remember a gameshow host on the very day another gameshow host, Henry Kelly, had sadly passed away himself.

No stranger to playing Eric Morecambe, Bob Golding lights up the stage with his impersonation, full of charisma and feeling like the glue that holds the trio together anytime a joke falls flat or an awkward moment occurs. Golding also gets to do a few musical numbers himself, in the vein of Morecambe, bringing an added element of joy. As Bob Monkhouse, Simon Cartwright is regularly the butt of the joke. With a personality that is less dominant than that of his two counterparts, it would be easy to overlook this character comparatively. However, Cartwright gives a masterclass in the art of subtlety with his calm and collected delivery as well as his hilarious reactions to his co-stars making this a stunning performance in itself.

Though The Last Laugh is about three comedians, it is slightly more weighted on Tommy Cooper in a performance that both opens and closes the show. Damian Williams is an absolute revelation as Tommy Cooper, giving a spot-on impersonation that is far more complex than it would seem on the surface. As Cooper talks about his health issues and his fear of dying, making reference to how he would eventually famous pass away on stage, Williams navigates a conflicting character perfectly with moments where he seems disconnected or looking somewhere else completely. It’s not all as serious as that though and the laughs come thick and fast, particularly with Williams as Cooper, whose flawless delivery and impeccable timing almost makes you think you are seeing the real thing on stage. All three performances are a fitting tribute to these comedians, not afraid to poke fun at them while honouring their skill at the same time.

With a show called The Last Laugh, you would hope for a lot of laughter, and this show more than delivers on this promise. However, tears of laughter could lead to a different type of tear as the show becomes far more moving and poignant than perhaps anyone would expect. It is beautifully handled though in a show that isn’t just about celebrating the collective genius of Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse but also celebrating the art of comedy itself and the importance of having a good laugh – something that is definitely needed in an increasingly terrifying world. More than that though, it also speaks about the fragility and fleeting nature of life, how we are remembered and what our own legacy will be. As the topic of mortality crops up, The Last Laugh has succeeded in ensuring these three comedians achieve immortality as the memory of their talents live on long after they are gone, entertaining and inspiring generations of people who didn’t live through the same time as them. To that end, it is them who are having the last laugh.

The Last Laugh plays at the Noel Coward Theatre until 22nd March

Tickets available here

Photos by Pamela Raith