L-R: Damian Williams (Tommy Cooper), Steve Royle (Eric Morecambe) and Simon Cartwright (Bob Monkhouse). Photo credit: Pamela Raith
By Tim Saunders
We don’t laugh enough these days. Life seems to be more serious than it used to be. Or am I getting older? One thing’s for sure, we seem to have lost our comic geniuses – another consequence of the smartphone and the internet… This fact is painfully highlighted when we watch the fantastic Paul Hendy play The Last Laugh at Kings Theatre Portsmouth, which pays tribute to the fabulous Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper and Bob Monkhouse.
Each comedian is pivotal to the success of this play and the timing and interactions between each is perfect. Each one has learnt their part to a tee – no surprise when the show was first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe a few years ago, then went to London and America. It’s now on its second national tour before returning to the States and then being made into a film.
Each character has the exact mannerisms, the accent and the delivery of their comic hero. This is a show of passion. Shut your eyes and the real thing could be in front of you. There are just these three characters in a dressing room, no set changes. And this set works so well. It’s complete with photographs of dead comedians like Max Wall. There are some wonderful jokes, some simple very effective ones from Tommy (Damian Williams) with props such as a saw on his head and a gate... You can’t help but chuckle at the absurdity.
We’re introduced to the concept of the double act and how each comic has been part of a duo but really only Eric Morecambe (Steve Royle) flourishes as part of this set up. There are regrets. The stress and anxiety of performing is touched upon as well as the highs and lows, the family struggles.
Bob says the joke writer polishes and chisels, refining, reducing the number of words until he’s happy with it, a similar process to writing this article in fact. “And writing the speech I’ve just given at school,” chips in my daughter Heidi (13) who watches it with me. She has obviously never heard of these excellent comedians and yet she finds it really funny and interesting to learn about their lives.
It does beg the question, how often do we give the writer of a joke, credit? I am often guilty of thinking it’s the actual comic delivering it that has written it, but often this is not the case.
“I steal jokes,” admits Tommy. Wow. During the occasional moments of melancholy I recall how I was only six when Tommy Cooper died, live on national television. I’ll never forget that.
“I wrote that one,” says Bob Monkhouse (Simon Cartwright) in response to another gag.
And I must mention Eric’s ukulele playing, which brings some welcome music to the proceedings. All great fun.
In the second half we there’s a fascinating Q&A session which reveals that Bob actually sold jokes to comedians from the age of 14. Yes 14. Quite a remarkable achievement. Yet he’s probably remembered more for being a game show host, which is where Simon Cartwright who plays Bob met him and subsequently knew him for more than a decade.
What an excellent show. I sincerely hope it is not The Last Laugh I get this year!
You really must go and watch this without fail.
At Kings Theatre, Portsmouth until May 23 and on tour throughout the UK until the end of October.
