New play The Last Laugh at Alhambra a 'delight to watch'

Beginning as a short film and later performed at Edinburgh Fringe, writer Paul Hendy’s The Last Laugh, which was staged at The Alhambra September 16 to 20, transported us back to what is often dubbed the “Golden Age” of Comedy, imagining here the meeting of three comedy giants.

Setting his new one act play in a grubby dressing room, Hendy placed Tommy Cooper (Damian Williams), Bob Monkhouse (Simon Cartwright) and Eric Morecambe (Richard Hodder) together on stage, giving the audience a fly-on-the-wall insight into their pre-show banter and industry reflections.

The lights flickered up and down on Set Designer Lee Newby’s stage to finally starkly illuminate a very distinctive Cooper wearing giant chicken feet in white Y-front briefs and a vest, donning too his trademark fez, while making jokes about his feet smelling "foul".

Practising opening lines and slugging whisky, he called for his assistant Mary and laughs at his own gag, "stick it on the bill" pointing to his broken duck prop.

Williams easily held the audience’s attention alone but the fast exchange of affectionate quips once Cartwright entered made the show a joy to watch, though the rubber Monkhouse masks wore took a little getting used to.

Hendy highlighted the contrast between the two performers with Cooper “like a sledgehammer” churning out off-the-cuff one-liners and heavy on the props while Monkhouse was a self-proclaimed chiseller, meticulously planning, rehearsing and refining.

Through their very different approaches to comedy, they grappled with the question as to whether the writer or teller of a joke was more illustrious.

In appearance too they’re far removed with a heavily tanned Monkhouse clutching his trademark joke book and sporting smart casuals reminiscent of golf attire while the pasty Cooper was semi clad for much of the performance.

As Morecambe, Hodder entered holding a female mannequin leg, a "stocking filler", and his inclusion added musicality to the show with ukelele and trombone numbers.

Reminiscing about comedy greats whose pictures adorn the dressing room walls or are listed on tatty posters, the trio poignantly lament mortality.

In honour of George Formby’s memory, "My Little Stick of Blackpool Rock" had some audience members quietly singing along.

In a more bittersweet moment, Morecambe sung "It's a funny way to be a hero" as he points at pictures of fallen comedians.

Packed with puns and innuendos with some origin stories, giving history into the trio’s backstory, The Last Laugh was a delight to watch.

Fans of any of these comedy giants were in for a real treat with plenty of their most famous gags included.

Hendy’s tight script and highly captivating and convincing portrayals from the cast are likely to inspire those less familiar with any of these comedians to go away and find out more. Cartwright and Williams have played Monkhouse and Cooper in previous productions (The Man Called Monkhouse, Being Tommy Cooper), giving exceedingly well-oiled performances, while Hodder makes an excellent stand-in for Bob Golding who also plays Morecambe.

An exceedingly speedy 80 minutes rollercoasting a whole host of emotions and providing a few surprises was certainly worthy of the standing ovation it prompted.