Following a hit West End run, a New York season, and a successful UK tour, the critically acclaimed comedy The Last Laugh will return for a UK and Ireland tour in 2026.
Written and directed by Paul Hendy, The Last Laugh opens at Malvern Theatres on Tuesday 28 April 2026, before visiting 21 venues across the UK and Ireland.
The production stars Britain’s Got Talent finalist Steve Royle as Eric Morecambe, alongside Damian Williams as Tommy Cooper and Simon Cartwright as Bob Monkhouse. Richard Hodder joins the cast as the Walking Cover for all three roles.
Producer Jamie Wilson said:
“I am delighted to be working with Evolution Productions again to take Paul Hendy’s critically acclaimed The Last Laugh on another UK and Ireland Tour, visiting 21 venues. It is incredible that this production, which started at Edinburgh Fringe and has since played in the West End, New York, and around the UK, will build on this success for a subsequent year.
I’m also thrilled that Damian Williams and Simon Cartwright are returning to reprise their roles as Tommy Cooper and Bob Monkhouse, with the brilliant Steve Royle joining as Eric Morecambe, to bring these three iconic comedians to life onstage.”
The Last Laugh imagines three of Britain’s all-time greatest comedy heroes – Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse – in a dressing room, discussing the secret of life, death, comedy and what it means to be funny… really funny.
Warm, funny, nostalgic and poignant, the play was a sell-out hit at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024 and received five-star acclaim in the West End in 2025.
Steve Royle is a comedian, actor, and radio presenter, best known for reaching the finals of Britain’s Got Talent in 2020. He was recently named Best Comic at the UK Pantomime Awards 2025.
Damian Williams returns to the role of Tommy Cooper, having previously played the part in Being Tommy Cooper. He is also known for his long-standing role as Dame at Sheffield Lyceum.
Simon Cartwright, an experienced impressionist and actor, reprises his role as Bob Monkhouse. His credits include Toast of London, Mother’s Day, and Howerd’s End.
Richard Hodder’s extensive theatre credits include The Accused, And Then There Were None, and Noises Off, as well as UK tours of The Importance of Being Earnest and Charley’s Aunt.
The creative team includes Set Designer Lee Newby, Composer and Musical Arranger Ethan Lewis Maltby, Sound Designer Callum Wills, Lighting Designer Johanna Town, Costume Designer Amy Chamberlain, and Casting by Kate Roddy.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
