Review: The Last Laugh play | Glasgow, UK Tour
- Lisa in the theatre
- Jul 16
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 18
Paul Hendy's Edinburgh Fringe sensation The Last Laugh has arrived in Glasgow as part of a new UK tour. The play about three 1970s and 80s British comedy greats - Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse - is an excellent tribute to these much-loved legends with three exceptional performances at its heart.
Review: Theatre Royal, Glasgow | 15 July 2025
The Last Laugh play review | Glasgow Theatre Royal ★★★★☆
A run-away hit at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024, The Last Laugh not only sold-out its month long run at the festival, but caught the attention of West End producer Jamie Wilson. What followed was a whirlwind year that saw the nostalgic play about three British comedy legends - Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse - play a month at the Noel Coward Theatre in London's West End, as well as a season Off Broadway.
Now embarking on a UK tour, the three acclaimed original actors reprise their roles, bringing the much loved, but sadly late, comedians back to life on stages across the UK.
Written and directed by Paul Hendy, The Last Laugh imagines Cooper (Damian Williams), Morecambe (Bob Golding) and Monkhouse (Simon Cartwright) meeting in a backstage dressing room, in an unnamed theatre, just before a show. There's little in the way of plot, rather the comedians pass the time getting ready for showtime by sharing jokes, gently teasing each other and debating the ins and outs of the live comedy and TV businesses.
It's a reimagining of what an hour in the company of these three huge personalities may have looked like, were they to be confined in a cramped and dingy dressing room. It's glorious.
Timeless, notalogic comedy
The Last Laugh is incredibly well observed and nostalgic; it's a laugh-a minute from beginning to end. At only 80 minutes runtime with no interval, The Laugh Laugh is undeniably a fringe theatre piece and it's all the better for being so. Short, sharp, with no frills, but filled with poignant stories and hilarious antics that leave the audience wanting more.
And for the UK tour production there is more! Act II comprises a 30 minute Q&A with the cast that I highly recommend you stay for. The genuine adoration from the actors for the roles they're playing and for the play itself becomes all the more evident and touching.
Keeping true to its fringe roots benefits the book of The Last Laugh: running straight through for 80 minutes works well with this material hitting the right balance between concise and complete. However it would fare better playing smaller venues where the entire audience can see the facial expressions, hilarious magic tricks and small props up close. I fear some of the detail and impact will be lost in the larger houses scheduled on the tour.
Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse live!
The three actors cast in The Last Laugh - Damian Williams, Bob Golding and Simon Cartwright - are extraordinary. Each of them has the mannerisms and vocal rhythms of their respective comedy characters perfected to a tee.
Praise must also go to the makeup, wigs and costume departments, but watching the actors bring these legends to life is a marvel in itself - I honestly believed I was watching Cooper, Morecambe and Monkhouse onstage. Damian Williams somehow manages to possess that same skill that Tommy Cooper had - he's funny without doing or saying anything. He just has funny bones.
A major part of this play's success will come from the joy an audience of a certain age experience at reliving their favourite gags and timeless routines with their resurrected comedy heroes. I don't know if The Last Laugh will hold the same appeal for a younger audience. But I'm definitely in the older age bracket, and I thought this was exceptionally well done. A gorgeous tribute to three unforgettable and irreplaceable comedy superstars. ★★★★☆
The Last Laugh plays at the Theatre Royal, Glasgow until Saturday 19 July 2025 and then continues on tour across the UK. Buy tickets here (affiliate link)
Check out the ATG Summer Saver for great ticket deals on upcoming shows.
The Last Laugh UK Tour
TUESDAY 15 – SATURDAY 19 JULY 2025
THEATRE ROYAL, GLASGOW
TUESDAY 22 – SATURDAY 26 JULY 2025
THE ALEXANDRA, BIRMINGHAM
TUESDAY 29 JULY – SATURDAY 2 AUGUST 2025
OPERA HOUSE, MANCHESTER
TUESDAY 12 – SATURDAY 16 AUGUST 2025
WALES MILLENIUM CENTRE, CARDIFF
TUESDAY 19 – SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 2025
PALACE THEATRE, SOUTHEND
Check out the ATG Summer Saver campaign for ticket savings on over 120 shows at 18 venues across the UK. Now running from 14 July - 31 August 2025.
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