Comedy cast’s emotional visit

CAST AND WRITER OF THE LAST LAUGH SHOW PAY AN EMOTIONAL VISIT TO SEE COMEDIAN’S ORIGINAL NOTEBOOKS AND DIARIES

The cast and writer of the brand-new play, The Last Laugh, currently showing at the Grand Opera House, York, had an emotional trip to the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York today to view the notebooks and newly acquired diaries of Eric Morecambe.

The actors who play the three iconic comedians, Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse together with Paul Hendy (award-winning writer and director), visited the Borthwick Institute where they joined the archive team for an emotional, private viewing.  The collections include original material for the successful Morecambe and Wise 1977 Christmas BBC Special, written in Morecambe’s distinctive handwriting, together with notebooks, diaries and jokes previously owned by legends of British comedy.

Paul Hendy, Writer and Director of the play says: “As a lifelong fan of Eric Morecambe, it’s been absolutely fascinating to visit the archive.  To be able to read Eric’s joke books, written in his own hand, is incredible and actually quite emotional”.

The Borthwick Institute’s comedy collections, acquired by the university, provide an interesting insight into the history of British entertainment. 

Gary Brannan, Keeper of Archives and Research Collections, says: “It’s been a delight to welcome the cast of The Last Laugh to Borthwick and we have loved seeing them connect and with our amazing archives. We always say that archives aren’t just records of the past; they are a source of modern creativity, so it has been wonderful to see the cast bring this material to life!”

The Last Laugh play, which received five-star reviews in the West End, is described as a love letter to the golden age of British comedy and reimagines the lives of three of Britain’s all-time greatest comedy heroes – Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse.

The actors who play the roles of the famous comedians, Bob Golding (Morecambe), Simon Cartwright (Monkhouse) and Damian Williams (Cooper) were thrilled to discover original documents.

Simon Cartwright (Bob Monkhouse) says:“The archive has been an absolute joy to discover.  I was particularly thrilled to find two original radio scripts written by Bob Monkhouse and his writing partner, Denis Goodwin. It serves as a reminder of Bob’s longevity in the industry – over 60 years.”

The Last Laugh is at the Grand Opera House until Saturday, with tickets available for matinees and evening performances.  Audiences can expect plenty of laughs, nostalgia, and great gags.

The Last Laughnostalgia, Grand Opera House York. Showing until Sat 14 June. Tickets: atgtickets.com/york