Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper and Bob Monkhouse – The Last Laugh
Newcastle Theatre Royal
Until Saturday 28 June 2025
Written and directed by Paul Hendy
Bob, Eric and Tommy were regulars on television through the 70s and into the 80s. They were part of the furniture - people thought that they knew them as they were a part of our lives. The new play brings their comedy back to the Newcastle stage for this week only. It is a laugh. Of course it is. These were three men at the very pinnacle of old school comedy. Their humour is timeless.
The set looks like a dressing room. A scruffy dressing room. As Monkhouse states upon his arrival "If this is dressing room one, I'd hate to see dressing room 2". First on is Damian Williams as Tommy Cooper, dressed in his underwear and wearing a huge pair of chicken feet. The Theatre Royal audience immediately laugh. The situation is absurdly just like the Tommy Cooper that we all know and love. He was a man with genuine funny bones. Williams has got that presence to pull of just standing there and being funny. We are off to a good start.
Next to arrive in the room is Simon Cartwright as Bob Monkhouse. Now, we don't normally stay for the Q&A but I strongly recommend it for this show. In the post show talk we discovered that Cartwright had appeared as a young man in 'Bob Says Opportunity Knocks' and ended up being coached in an 18 year friendship by the man himself. Bob would analyse how to deliver jokes as Bob. Clearly, a lot was picked up. In the script we get analytical Bob who knows who wrote what joke.
Finally Bob Golding lands as Eric Morecambe, complete with ukulele which will be coming in handy later in the show. The addition of a third naturally funny man leads to a fun 80 minutes as the three men reminisce and tell jokes to one another as they get ready.
The three actors are less doing an impression, more they are reflecting the very spirit of what made the the comics much loved household names. That spirit drives the show to its ultimate conclusion. Here's the thing - I spoke to a couple of younger people who missed the significance of some of the first moments as Tommy is making himself at home. He looks at a robe - that robe. If you saw that show then you know, but the show still works if you don't.
Now we were lucky in that we got to see Bob Monkhouse in the flesh in a club in the late 80s. He was fabulously funny. He was very spontaneous and far from the formulaic Bob that the game shows suggested he was like. This show helps unwrap something of the other Bob - the one that wasn't on television.
This is a funny show. One that harks back to a golden age of television in which the shows these guys were in would be seen by tens of millions of people. They were popular, not because they were they only option, but because they were at the top of there game. Each one was taken from us as they were still creating fabulous moments for us to all watch and the Paul Hendy script takes full advantage of these recognisable characters. Sure, it is fiction. But you feel it could be a conversation between the three of them.
The other important aspect are the three leads. They need to full the huge shoes of these recognisable characters. This they do so well. The audience finds themselves laughing at the same aspects of performance that made the originals famous in the first place.
The format of the show probably reflects the Ed Fringe origins of the show. It starts with the full play - 80 minutes straight through. This is followed by an interval and then the actors come on the discuss the show whilst being interviewed by the cover (understudy). This final section revealed as much about the audience on opening night as we had another Opportunity Knocks contestant and the PR from Monkhouse's Newcastle nightclub present. I'm glad I stayed for this second part.
The Last Laugh is fun. A lot of jokes are balanced with a fair amount of pathos too as these guys await their moment on stage. You find yourself laughing for the very same reason why they were popular in the first place. The cast pull off an amazing feat in bringing some of the best of the era back for one night.
Review: Stephen Oliver
Photos: Pamela Raith
On The Web:
https://thelastlaughplay.co.uk/
Tickets:
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