The fez, the spectacles and the bow tie: Damian Williams’s Tommy Cooper, Bob Golding’s Eric Morecambe and Simon Cartwright’s Bob Monkhouse in The Last Laugh. Picture: Pamela Raith
WHO will have The Last Laugh at the Grand Opera House, York, when British comedy triumvirate Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper and Bob Monkhouse reconvene in a dressing room in Paul Hendy’s play?
Find out from June 10 to 14 when Bob Golding, Damian Williams and Simon Cartwright take on the iconic roles in this new work by the Evolutions Productions director, who just happens to write York Theatre Royal’s pantomimes too.
“I’ve always been fascinated by what makes something – or someone – funny,” says the award-winning Hendy. “I wrote The Last Laugh to explore those questions, to examine comedy’s mechanics. How a pause, a look, or one word can change the way a joke lands – or doesn’t. I hope The Last Laugh brings some of the joy and laughter that these three men brought to so many.
“As you’ll see, Damian Williams is the perfect Tommy Cooper, Bob Golding embodies Eric and Simon Cartwright is Bob Monkhouse”
The Last Laugh writer-director Paul Hendy
Here the cast discusses the nostalgia and poignancy of The Last Laugh, the public response and the craft of comedy.
Do you have your own memories of Eric, Tommy and Bob?
Bob Golding: “I have strong and fond memories of all the comics. I especially remember a Christmas special where Eric & Ernie were dressed as turkeys. I was mesmerised at their ability to make not just me laugh but my parents, my younger brother and my elderly grandmother, who would chuckle and mutter “silly b***ers” under her breath.”
Damian Williams: “I have so many fond memories of these iconic men from watching them at Christmas with the family, particularly sitting with my dad watching Tommy Cooper and seeing him crying with laughter. I grew up with them and was certainly influenced by them. Tommy is the reason I got into the business.”
Simon Cartwright: “All three were iconic legends of British light entertainment and featured in positive childhood memories for me. I enjoyed watching Bob Monkhouse presenting in the very early ’70s – I would have been six years old – on programmes like The Golden Shot and then into the ’80s with Bob’s Full House. They are fond memories of a time that I can recall, happier family environments when we’d all watch stuff together.”
Having a laugh: Damian Williams’s Tommy Cooper, Bob Golding’s Eric Morecambe and Simon Cartwright’s Bob Monkhouse in The Last Laugh. Picture: Pamela Raith
Without giving too much away, what happens in The Last Laugh and why does the play resonate with audiences today?
Golding: “Well, put simply, The Last Laugh is what happens when you put three comedy legends in a dressing room and lock the door. You’ve got Tommy Cooper, Bob Monkhouse, and yours truly – Eric Morecambe – putting the world to rights, one laugh at a time.
“It’s a love letter to comedy, to friendship, and to those glorious gags that never get old (unlike us!). But it’s not just about jokes—it’s about legacy, about life, and about how laughter carries us through the darkest moments.
“Audiences are coming in expecting a chuckle and leaving with a lump in their throat – and possibly a stitch in their side. It reminds people why comedy matters, especially in today’s world where we could all do with a bit more joy and a lot more heart.”
Williams: “Watching The Last Laugh is the closest you’ll get to spending 80 minutes in the company of these great men. It’s about the art of comedy, the relationship between these three men and what’s it’s really like to be funny for a living. It’s full of laughs, nostalgia, warmth and love.”
Cartwright: “It reflects on a time when families would sit down and watch television together. Nowadays that’s very rare because of streaming, people being dissipated around family lives and watching things on their smartphones.
“I think people do remember times when they sat down together, the halcyon days. Looking back into the ’60s and 70s, people seem to think they were happier times.”
Dressing room discussions: Damion Williams’s Tommy Cooper, Bob Golding’s Eric Morecambe and Simon Cartwright’s Bob Monkhouse in The Last Laugh. Picture: Pamela Raith
The show has played the Edinburgh Fringe, London’s West End and New York ahead of its UK tour opening in York next week. What has been the response so far?
Golding: “Oh, it’s been an absolute riot – in the best possible way! Edinburgh? Huge laughs and standing ovations. The West End? Packed houses, five-star reviews and audiences who didn’t want to leave the theatre. And New York? Well, they absolutely loved it, even if they didn’t know who Eric was!
”We’ve had people in tears – happy ones! They have told us how much it meant to see their comedy heroes brought back to life. And the joy is infectious. Every single night has felt like a celebration, not just of these three men, but of what it means to really laugh. It’s been the experience of a lifetime.”
Williams: “The response has been amazing. It really has struck a chord with people. The comments and the reviews have been fantastic. We really didn’t know how it would be received when we started and it’s totally blown our minds.”
Cartwright: “We’ve had a remarkable reaction from the public, getting standing ovations and moving people – particularly men of a certain age becoming quite emotional. I think they can apply positives memories from their youth, and somehow connect with these comedians, triggering those thoughts and memories.
“It was also a time when comedy was a lot more innocent, and I think people appreciate that the comedians we’re representing were not particularly political or had an agenda other than being funny and making us feel good.”
In character, not caricature: Bob Golding’s Eric Morecambe, Damian Williams’s Tommy Cooper and Simon Cartwright’s Bob Monkhouse. Picture: Pamela Raith
How do you find the balance between playing a caricature and making it your own?
Golding: “I try to avoid the word ‘caricature’ as it conjures a larger-than-life interpretation of the person I’m portraying. When it comes to playing a well-known person, I think it’s all about capturing the spirit of them and avoiding cliché impressions or over-used gestures etc. I also feel that with every character I play there will always be an element of myself in it. It’s almost unavoidable.
“I’ve played Eric for over 16 years now, so I think my connection and respect for him has almost certainly become stronger and I have never lost sight of the fact that I’m merely on the coat-tail of his greatness and talent. It’s been a huge honour.
Williams: “As an actor, I wanted to play Tommy as the man he was and try to avoid just doing an impression. It’s been interesting to really study him and to learn more about who he was. The three of us have worked incredibly hard to capture them without doing a caricature.”
Cartwright: “First and foremost, I knew Bob Monkhouse personally, so from a method-acting point of view, I can really draw on and recall what he was like off-stage, so I have that distinct advantage. These are three very vulnerable men who share the love of making people laugh, and they get there in different ways.
“It’s all about finding authenticity and truth, rather than trying to create a caricature or an impression. We’re not doing that, we’re going for truth and sentiment. I think the more we perform this, the more truth we’re finding in the words, and it’s resonating with our own personalities as well.”
“It’s very much a ‘feel good’ piece of theatre and a reassuringly British experience,” says Bob Golding, centre, of Paul Hendy’s play The Last Laugh. Picture: Pamela Raith
Are there any cities or venues on the tour where you will be especially excited to perform?
Golding: “I love touring! Of course, I miss my family, but I love seeing all the different theatres and feeling the energy of the different audiences.
“I think we are lucky here in the UK as it does provide many of those lovely pockets. I love the history and charm of a place like York, for example, but then also the buzz of the Glasgow nights is exciting and appealing too.
“Milton Keynes is very close to my actual home, so I will certainly look forward to being able to sleep in my own bed during that week, but overall, I am comforted by the ‘safe space’ of every theatre we visit. For an actor, the theatre is the home away from home.”
Williams: “I can’t wait to start the tour and bring it to some amazing cities. Personally, I’m looking forward to the Sheffield audiences, as it’s where I do panto every Christmas [playing the Lyceum dame], and Southend as it’s my hometown.”
Cartwright: “I’m looking forward to Sheffield – I have an affinity to Sheffield. There’s always this feeling that the audiences get warmer as you go further north, even though the temperature might get cooler outside.
“It will be interesting to try Glasgow as well – we mention the Glasgow Empire [in the play], the infamous venue where every comic failed. Will we be able to get the Glaswegian crowds to reflect warmly on our efforts? I do hope so.”
The poster for The Last Laugh, bound for York next week after playing the Edinburgh Fringe, the West End and New York
What do you hope audiences will take away from The Last Laugh: not only laughter, but maybe something deeper too?
Golding: “What we’ve certainly found with The Last Laugh is that people of a certain age have left in a bit of an emotional state after enjoying the play. They’ve laughed and they’ve cried as I think it awakens a more innocent time in our youth when elder family members were still with us, and possibly reminds us of what those times mean to us.
“The laughter hopefully evens out the more poignant and sadder feelings though. It’s very much a ‘feel good’ piece of theatre and a reassuringly British experience.”
Williams: “What we’ve learnt so far is that the audiences are totally transported back to a time when they sat as a family and watched these great comedians on the TV. We can totally feel the love from the audience as soon as the play starts. You’ll be laughing one minute and crying the next. You’ll learn more about these men and what it was really like to be them. “
Cartwright: “I hope that audiences take away a new and fresh insight into the three comedians. I hope that a younger generation, who might not have seen the comedians before, discover them and walk away with an interest, and we ultimately keep their memories alive. I hope for the older generations we’re a warm reminder of a bygone age, the golden age of British comedy.”
The Last Laugh, Grand Opera House, York, June 10 to 14, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday matinees. In the second half, a Q&A session will enable audience members to put their questions to the cast. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.