Review
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
The Last Laugh
Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
19th-23rd August 2025
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
The Last Laugh
Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
19th-23rd August 2025
It is worth arriving early for the performance this week at the Palace. The curtain is up, though very present, hovering over a richly detailed dressing room set, comprising posters of old theatre bills, costumes, and photos of iconic comedians. It is great fun seeing how many of them you recognise. One fact is clear though. They are all long dead comedians.
As the house lights go down, the dressing room mirror lights flicker, then flicker again. Is this a case of old electrics, or is somethings a little more supernatural afoot? After the third flicker, Tommy Cooper is standing in front of us, complete with chicken feet, baggy pants and socks. Tommy is getting ready for a show, going through parts of his act, and drinking whisky to steady his nerves.
Next to enter is Bob Monkhouse, who occupies the dressing table in the opposite corner to Tommy. A gentle dialogue ensues and it is clear the two men know each other, but not too well.
Finally, and possibly the most eagerly anticipated, Eric Morecambe makes his appearance and immediately livens the pace, with his own unique brand of chaos. The three men are each preparing are preparing for a performance of some kind, in a dressing room that has definitely seen better days, but is it the SAME performance?
What follows is a highly entertaining and cerebral discussion between these three comedy legends about the ephemeral, elusive nature of comedy and what makes something funny. Each has his own brand, which cannot be emulated by either of the others. It is very charmingly done, at times very funny too, with the very much lampooned Des O’Connor coming in for an inevitable ribbing.
The factor that makes Paul Hendy’s beautifully written play work so well, is the remarkable casting of the three actors who bring the comedians to life. Each captures the essence of their character spookily well. Damian Williams opens the show with a glorious ten minutes as Tommy Cooper. Voice, mannerisms and timing are totally captured as he eyeballs the audience.
Bob Golding quite simply IS Eric Morecambe, dressed in the trademark sheepskin coat, trilby hat and button up cardigan, whist of course smoking that notorious pipe.
However for me, acting honours of the night have to go to Simon Cartwright as Bob Monkhouse.
With a very clever wig, and deep fake tan, Cartwright gives the subtlest and least showy of the three performances, as fits the type of person Monkhouse was. He also has the voice down to perfection. Bob Monkhouse was easily the most intellectual of the three, and asks the most probing questions, even demonstrating why he considers himself the least funny of them.
It is only towards the end of the 80 minute long play that we find out which dressing room they are in, and why it is “The Last Laugh”
Damon Williams, Simon Cartwright and Bob Bolding have been performing the play since January, and it truly shows in their effortless rapport. They are simply magnificent. Author Paul Hendy also directs, whilst Lee Newby’s set, and Johanna Town’s lighting, with equally effective sound by Callum Wells all enhance the play.
Do not leave at the interval, as there is more to come. As a delightful post-script to the evening, the three actors return to the stage, as themselves, interviewed by their cover actor, Richard Hodder. Insights are offered, and secrets are revealed. Questions are also invited from the audience.
If you are of a certain age, and can remember when the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show would pull in 28 MILLION viewers, this is most definitely the play for you. Tickets are, unsurprisingly, like gold dust, but it is worth trying to get one of the few left.
A stupendous evening. Highly recommended.
Review: Andrew Walters
As the house lights go down, the dressing room mirror lights flicker, then flicker again. Is this a case of old electrics, or is somethings a little more supernatural afoot? After the third flicker, Tommy Cooper is standing in front of us, complete with chicken feet, baggy pants and socks. Tommy is getting ready for a show, going through parts of his act, and drinking whisky to steady his nerves.
Next to enter is Bob Monkhouse, who occupies the dressing table in the opposite corner to Tommy. A gentle dialogue ensues and it is clear the two men know each other, but not too well.
Finally, and possibly the most eagerly anticipated, Eric Morecambe makes his appearance and immediately livens the pace, with his own unique brand of chaos. The three men are each preparing are preparing for a performance of some kind, in a dressing room that has definitely seen better days, but is it the SAME performance?
What follows is a highly entertaining and cerebral discussion between these three comedy legends about the ephemeral, elusive nature of comedy and what makes something funny. Each has his own brand, which cannot be emulated by either of the others. It is very charmingly done, at times very funny too, with the very much lampooned Des O’Connor coming in for an inevitable ribbing.
The factor that makes Paul Hendy’s beautifully written play work so well, is the remarkable casting of the three actors who bring the comedians to life. Each captures the essence of their character spookily well. Damian Williams opens the show with a glorious ten minutes as Tommy Cooper. Voice, mannerisms and timing are totally captured as he eyeballs the audience.
Bob Golding quite simply IS Eric Morecambe, dressed in the trademark sheepskin coat, trilby hat and button up cardigan, whist of course smoking that notorious pipe.
However for me, acting honours of the night have to go to Simon Cartwright as Bob Monkhouse.
With a very clever wig, and deep fake tan, Cartwright gives the subtlest and least showy of the three performances, as fits the type of person Monkhouse was. He also has the voice down to perfection. Bob Monkhouse was easily the most intellectual of the three, and asks the most probing questions, even demonstrating why he considers himself the least funny of them.
It is only towards the end of the 80 minute long play that we find out which dressing room they are in, and why it is “The Last Laugh”
Damon Williams, Simon Cartwright and Bob Bolding have been performing the play since January, and it truly shows in their effortless rapport. They are simply magnificent. Author Paul Hendy also directs, whilst Lee Newby’s set, and Johanna Town’s lighting, with equally effective sound by Callum Wells all enhance the play.
Do not leave at the interval, as there is more to come. As a delightful post-script to the evening, the three actors return to the stage, as themselves, interviewed by their cover actor, Richard Hodder. Insights are offered, and secrets are revealed. Questions are also invited from the audience.
If you are of a certain age, and can remember when the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show would pull in 28 MILLION viewers, this is most definitely the play for you. Tickets are, unsurprisingly, like gold dust, but it is worth trying to get one of the few left.
A stupendous evening. Highly recommended.
Review: Andrew Walters