20 Jun 2025
In July 2024 a packed audience at Harpenden’s Eric Morecambe Centre watched an unseen play presenting an imagined meeting between legendary comedians Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper and Bob Monkhouse.
The local audience gave a justifiable standing ovation at the end of that debut performance of The Last Laugh, providing much-needed confidence to the cast before they took the show to the Edinburgh Fringe.
Since then, The Last Laugh has been seen across the UK and beyond, with performances including Noel Coward in the West End and 59e59 Theatre in New York, earning five star reviews wherever it played.
But it was Harpenden where it all started, with St Albans panto legend Bob Golding slipping on the specs of local icon Eric alongside Damian Williams as Tommy and Simon Cartwright’s Monkhouse.
Gary Morecambe, an enthusiastic long-term supporter of Bob’s tribute to his late father, was among the audience, many of whom remembered Eric from his years spent living in the town.
We caught up with Evolution Productions’ panto impresario Paul Hendy – who wrote, directed and produced The Last Laugh – shortly after the play opened in York.
“Obviously it all started off in Harpenden, and the reaction there was fantastic. It couldn’t have started anywhere better, and that is the absolute truth.
“It was in a theatre named after one of the stars of the play, the audiences were so great and so warm, those performances were packed out and it really kicked us off.”
Did he have any inkling that they were sitting on a hit play?
“Absolutely not. It’s been a great surprise. I felt it was cute and I knew there was so much affection for these comedians, but the success in the West End and going to New York for five weeks was just incredible.
“You can almost understand it in this country, but for the Americans to take it on board was quite a different thing as there wasn’t the recognition and the nostalgia. As far as they were concerned it was just a play about three comedians – imagine seeing Tommy arriving in his vest and his pants and with his fez on! So they had to learn, and they sort of listened a lot more.
“Whereas in this country it already starts at a level of love, in New York we had to educate them.”
So how have the three stars found the experience?
“Just brilliant. The reactions from the audiences over here, there’s love every night, it’s almost palpable, you can touch it. It’s just people wanting to see these great comedians. That was missing from the America shows, but at the same time it sort of made it a different piece in a way. It was less about the comedy and more about the characters, and that gave it a new level I think.”
This year sees The Last Laugh head to theatres in Newcastle, Sheffield, Milton Keynes, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Blackpool and many more besides – but will it be coming back to this part of the world?
“I hope so, I’d certainly hope so. It’s got a big connection here, and it’s obviously well supported as well.
“We’ll be touring again next year, and then my ambition is to turn it into a full-length feature film. It started off as a short film so then it would come full circle. I’d be thrilled if that happened, and we’re in discussions about that now. It’s very early stages, but that’s my ambition.”
On top of overseeing a runaway hit play, Paul is also producing ten pantomimes for this year’s festive season, including Aladdin at the Alban Arena.
“Aladdin is one of my favourites, it’s a proper pantomime, you’ve got your hero, your princess, your dame, your comedy, it’s got a great baddie. It’s great to have Steve McFadden back, it really is, he’s one of the best baddies in the country, because you’ve got Phil Mitchell, it’s perfect, it really is.”
EastEnders icon Steve McFadden was previously at the Arena in the 2014 production of Jack and the Beanstalk, although he popped back to support co-star Jake Wood when he took the role of Captain Hook in Peter Pan (2015).
“Of course, Bob Golding is coming back, and Damian Patton, who was Dandini last year, is the policeman. Can I have a favourite pantomime? It’s like having favourite children. But if I had to be pushed I’d say it’s my favourite pantomime.”
That said, it must be a challenge to keep it fresh each time it comes back? (It was previously seen in 2012, with CBeebies’ Mister Maker star Phil Gallagher in the title role, and then again in 2017 with Karl Howman, another EastEnder.)
“That’s the skill. It’s trying to make it familiar so everybody recognises it as the Alban Arena pantomime, with everything people love.
“But within those parameters it’s got to be original enough that you haven’t seen it before, but familiar enough that it feels comfortable.
“That’s my job. I’ve been writing the scripts this morning and I love trying to come up with new stuff all the time.”
But what of Bob Golding himself? How has the Alban Arena’s celebrated dame found the experience?
We managed to grab a few words while he was walking to visit York’s famous National Rail Museum during a break from rehearsals.
“It’s such a joy to be back on tour celebrating some of the best of British comedy legends again. Kicking off our tour in York was like being hugged by mum. New York was very exciting and the play was well received but nothing beats a home crowd and we are really looking forward to bringing Paul’s brilliant play to some of the best cities in the UK.”
“This year is whizzing by and it’ll soon be time for panto – this year I’ll be playing Dame Dolly at the Alban Arena for the first time in six years in Aladdin!
“I genuinely cannot wait to bring Dame Dolly back to my all-time favourite audience!”
Show photos by Pamela Raith Photography.
