The Last Laugh Is A Perfect Tribute To Comic Genius

The useful part

Backstage a dressing room door opens and a huge man walks in, in his underpants, wearing giant chicken feet. 'My feet smell fowl' he says, and we're off on a trip down classic comedy memory lane. This is the opening of The Last Laugh, a one act play by Paul Hendy that opened at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre last night.

How it works

• The Last Laugh all takes place in that dressing room, as the men prepare for a unknown show in an unknown theatre and share reminises about their life and careers that prove to be both hilarious and poignant.
• The way they walk and talk, their mannerisms and expressions are all so perfect you really could be watching and listening to these men backstage at some point back in time.
• The man in the chicken feet is Tommy Cooper, here played by the utterly brilliant Damian Williams, and soon he will be joined by two more comic geniuses.
• First is Bob Monkhouse, the king of sardonic quick with, brought to life by the incredible Simon Cartwright who looked so like Bob it was actually eerie.

What to take from it

The third genius is the beloved Eric Morecambe as played by the wondrous Steve Royle, one of my all time favourite funny men who we lost far too soon. Each actor is sublime, bringing these much loved comics to life in uncannily brilliant portrayals. I dont want to give the story away but there are clues to what is happening here.

Example or evidence

• As we move towards the denouement it becomes clear where we are and what is about to happen, and it is truly powerful theatre.