The Last Laugh - Northern Arts Review
at the The Grand Opera House York
The Last Laugh - Northern Arts Review
“Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.”
That Peter Ustinov quote came to mind last night as I watched The Last Laugh, and it hasn’t quite left me since. Written and directed by Paul Hendy, the production is an affectionate tribute to three titans of British comedy – Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse – and it rides a fine line between slapstick and nostalgic melancholy. Hendy’s original script imagines a backstage meeting between the trio as they wait in a ramshackle dressing room to perform—one final time. There’s no real plot, per se. Instead, it’s a reflective hour and a half of gags, song snippets, and philosophical musings about timing, legacy, and the addictive nature of chasing the next laugh.
If you grew up with these men on your TV, you’re likely the show’s ideal audience. Although I have always understood the men from a distance as giants of comedy, my familiarity with them comes more from cultural osmosis than devotion—Tommy Cooper’s infamous onstage death, Bob Monkhouse’s game show days, Morecambe’s “glasses thing”. So, I went in curious to see whether the show could connect with someone lacking the nostalgic touchstones many others in the room clearly shared. And on balance, I’d say it did.
It’s clear from the outset that this is a show made with deep admiration and care. The script doesn’t concern itself with biography or scandal but focuses on capturing the essence of these men: their timing and their camaraderie. The “sad clown” trope is present, yes, but handled with a light touch and there’s no denying that The Last Laugh leans heavily on existing affection. Some punchlines don’t quite land unless you know what they’re referencing. But what carries it through, even for the less initiated, is the universality of the questions it raises. What does it mean to sacrifice some of your own life to making others laugh? Who really owns a joke—the writer or the performer?
To see my full review, please visit Northern Arts Review
See you in the shadows my loves,
Sean x
