The Last Laugh

Grand Theatre Wolverhampton

***** “Worth waiting for…. don’t miss it”

Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe, and Bob Monkhouse on stage together for about an hour, what could possibly go wrong. Well to be truthful, not a lot. Wonderfully recreated by actors Damian Williams, Steve Royle, and Simon Cartwright respectively. Cartwright in particular a picture-perfect Monkhouse, and the other two carve out beautifully nuanced performances as comedy geniuses Cooper and Morecambe. It is very much about actors creating deep characterisations and not about impersonations.

Fascinating to see them interact with one another and reminisce about their early days climbing the showbusiness ladder. It had been a long day of travel and meetings for me…. the Last Laugh was just what I needed and worth the wait.

The nostalgia is palpable as is the warmth and respect the characters have not just for themselves but for the comedy greats who preceded them, and who look down on them from the dressing room wall.

This is a show I attended at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival two years ago and has since then had a run in the West End as well as a national tour, and deservedly so. It only runs for about an hour and is followed up with a question-and-answer session with the cast, that first hour is brimming with lovely stage craft and nicely blended script.

A laugh worth waiting for, don’t miss it.

David Robinson