The Last Laugh
Chichester Festival Theatre
until 7th November
After a strong summer festival, Chichester Festival Theatre now has a packed schedule for the Winter season and currently showing for one week only is The Last Laugh concluding a 22-week tour. This affectionate and poignant tribute resurrects three of Britain’s comedy greats Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecombe and Bob Monkhouse.
Starting out as a short 20-minute film by Paul Hendy, during Covid he turned it into a play which then began life at the Edinburgh Fringe. Three very different comedians but all part of the backdrop to Hendy’s childhood.
Set in a dressing room imaginary conversations take place between the three of them with reflections on life, death, the sacrifices made to their personal lives, how to make people laugh and great punchlines. Their easy off-stage banter brings out their differences – Cooper a genuinely funny man, Morecombe with his playful appeal and Monkhouse who was a great joke writer filling many ledgers with his work, but not naturally funny.
During the interval the audience are invited to put forward questions to be discussed in the second half which takes a Q&A format. Damian Williams (Bob Monkhouse), Steve Royle (Eric Morecombe) and Simon Cartright (Bob Monkhouse) and on this occasion Paul Hendy too, give enlightening anecdotes and gaffs from their comedy legends, albeit 40 years ago.
This is an enjoyable and emotional trip down memory lane from the golden age of British comedy when maybe times were simpler and comedy more effortless?
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviewer: Jill Lawrie