Review: The Last Laugh, Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield

I admit I’m old enough to remember when Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse were household names and on TV all the time. They were huge personalities, with vastly different comedy styles, so I was intrigued to see how they could possibly be represented on stage by actors.

I have to say the quality of all three portrayals is astonishing. In a Q&A session after the performance, the three actors revealed that they were playing their heroes and had honed these roles over many years in other productions before Paul Hendy wrote The Last Laugh specifically to bring them together.

Damian Williams is well known to Lyceum audiences, having played the panto dame here for many years. He can certainly work the audience and uses that skill with his wonderful performance as Tommy Cooper. He is so impressive. His nuances, facial expressions, voice and stage presence are superb. He starts the show on stage by himself and from his first appearance in a fez, vest and pants, and duck’s feet, he simply is Tommy Cooper.

Simon Cartwright as Bob Monkhouse is stunning. His mannerisms, stance and voice are just perfect. He was coached by Monkhouse himself, which explains the attention to detail in his portrayal. It’s hard to believe that he is an actor playing a role; he really is extraordinary.

Bob Golding as Eric Morecambe is equally impressive. He is visually incredible as Morecambe and perfectly captures all of Morecambe’s physicality. He also sounds exactly like his creation. It’s quite remarkable.

But it’s not enough to have excellent performances of beloved comedians. The material has to be equal to the portrayals. And it is. This is a beautifully crafted piece written and directed by Hendy. It is set in a dingy dressing room where the three are waiting to perform. On the wall are photographs of iconic comedians from earlier times such as Tony Hancock, Arthur Askey and Sid James. All of them are long gone. It’s no secret that this is the direction of travel for Cooper, Monkhouse and Morecambe. There are many poignant references to what happens to them, which are often very moving. 

There are also lots of laughs. The re-telling of the same joke to highlight each of their different styles is witty and very funny. There is clever banter between Monkhouse and Cooper on what humour is – Monkhouse metaphorically uses a chisel to craft his jokes while Cooper just uses a sledgehammer. Each style has its place and none are judged wanting. 

Hendy’s writing is at its strongest when each comedian explains why they perform – to hear the laughter even when they are fighting fear of failure and insecurities; to create memories for people of watching TV with their dads and grandads and laughing together. 

Today’s comedians are very different from these three, but I suspect many will have taken inspiration from them. This super production gives modern audiences a real insight into what comedy is by watching master craftsmen at work.

Written & Directed by Paul Hendy
Set Design by Lee Newby
Lighting Design by Callum Wills
Music by Ethan Lewis Maltby
Wigs by Craig Forrest-Thomas
Costume Design by Amy Chamberlain
Creative Producer: Emily Wood
General Management: Jamie Wilson Productions

The Last Laugh plays in Sheffield until Saturday 5 July. A UK tour continues until September 2025