The Last Laugh at The Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham

And just like that we were laughing from the moment the curtains went up until the curtains closed, an epic evening celebrating British comedy legends!

The Last Laugh is about three comedy icons who come together to discuss life, comedy and fame. Set in a bleak  back stage dressing room that shows what basic facilities these stars at the time had compared to today’s stars riders and demands, a bottle of whiskey and an ashtray was all that was needed!

First on stage is the mighty Tommy Cooper acted superbly by Damian Williams, he captured all his mannerisms, stage presence and delivered every joke on stage. Thomas Frederick Cooper (19 March 1921 – 15 April 1984) was a Welsh prop comedian and magician. As an entertainer, his appearance was large and lumbering at 6 feet 4 inches, and he habitually wore a red fez when performing. He served in the British Army for seven years before developing his conjuring skills and becoming a member of The Magic Circle. He was just so funny because he wasn’t a polished performer but an every day man that the public just adored.  ITV’s Live From Her Majesty’s was the show that all the great stars were on and wanted to be on and this was to be Tommy’s last show. Damian Williams was Tommy Cooper, it was like stepping back in time.

Next on stage was Bob Monkhouse who I remember mainly from game shows and for being very tanned! I didn’t realise what a brilliant stand up comedian he actually was, a master crafts man who worked hard on his routine and wrote so many jokes that are still told today and are still so funny. Robert Alan Monkhouse (1 June 1928 – 29 December 2003) was an English comedian, television presenter, writer and actor. He was the host of television game shows including The Golden Shot, Celebrity Squares, Family Fortunes and Wipeout. Simon Cartwright acted him with sublime accuracy, facial expressions and of course delivered on every line like the true professional that he was.

Finally outcomes everyone’s favourite Eric Morecambe acted by the very clever Bob Golding. John Eric Bartholomew, known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, as per his beloved home town was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe’s death in 1984. Their Christmas specials and Live from Her Majesty’s performances were what everyone looked forward too and talked about for days after. Most of today’s comediennes will say that Eric in particular was their inspiration.  Bob Golding was everything that you wanted him to be and hoped he would be, the personality, the charisma and also showed the vulnerability of this timeless icon.

The Last Laugh delivers on every level and takes you back in time when comedy was clean, non satirical and not political, it was just funny! So I recommend you take anyone young or old but particularly the older generation as they will enjoy reminiscing about the good old days and they will love seeing these three giants of comedy on stage.

5 stars for an outstanding show that isn’t just funny but funny funny!

Showing at The Alex from Tue 22 Jul – Sat 26 Jul 2025 Book your tickets HERE

The Last Laugh is written and directed by the award-winning Paul Hendy.