Bob Golding Archives - North West End UK

24Sep

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

The Last Laugh – Liverpool Playhouse

Paul Hendy’s The Last Laugh arrives at the Liverpool Playhouse as both tribute and portrait of three of Britain’s most iconic comedians – Tommy Cooper (Damian Williams), Eric Morecambe (Bob Golding) and Bob Monkhouse (Simon Cartwright) with an imagined meeting of the three in a slightly dilapidated dressing room of an unknown theatre. It’s a warm-hearted evening and our trio of actors are clearly accomplished mimics. However, with a sense that the show is a bit of an excuse to show off these talents, the show occasionally struggles as it slips uneasily between original theatre, greatest-hits homage and meandering biographical lecture. Each actor has an expert ear for the vocal cadence and physical timing of our comedians, honed through their own solo tribute shows, making the imper...

30Jul

By Philip EdwardsNo Comments

North West

The Last Laugh – Manchester Opera House

It is a well-known fact that most comedians have an insecurity caused by and driven by the need to get the next laugh. Tony Hancock for example paid the ultimate price in his strive to stay funny. It is fuelled by the need to build on the success they have already built. It is an anxiety shared by the three comic greats we see presented on stage in Paul Hendy’s touching script though how they deal with it is very different. All three come from the first generation of comedians to transition from the age of music hall to the age of television. In music hall, comics often toured the same material for years, but once seen on television, that material becomes yesterday’s chip paper and the need to create new, funnier comedy drives the insecurity to get the next laugh. There can ...

23Jul

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

The Last Laugh – Alexandra, Birmingham

I was in Morocco once (hold on - this’ll make sense) and came across a market stall selling fezes. The stall holder asked me where I was from. I said, “UK” where upon he put on a fez and said, “Just like that!” I asked him if he knew what that meant. He shrugged and said, “No, but everyone who comes from UK puts on a fez and says, “Just like that!’” And we still do. Forty years after the death of the comic we’re imitating. Such is the impression he made and the impressions being made tonight at the Alexandra will surely be spoken for the same length of time. Three stalwarts of comedy who dominated the light entertainment landscape for many years are here evoked with uncanny accuracy by three comedy stalwarts who have to be seen to be believed. Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkh...

19Jun

By Zain RussellNo Comments

London

The Last Laugh – Richmond Theatre

The Last Laugh is a fast-paced and nostalgic stage show that transports audiences back in time to celebrate three of Britain’s finest comedians: Tommy Cooper, portrayed by Damian Williams; Eric Morecambe, brought to life by Bob Golding; and Bob Monkhouse, played by Simon Cartwright. From the moment the curtain rises, the energy is palpable, and what immediately stands out is how astonishingly accurate each actor is in embodying the comedian they represent. Their mastery of the mannerisms, voices, and comedic timing is so convincing that it genuinely feels like you are watching the real legends share the stage together. One of the show’s greatest strengths is how it seamlessly blends homage with humour. The script incorporates many of the comedians' iconic catchphrases and inside jokes—m...

9Aug

By Kathleen MansfieldNo Comments

Scotland

The Last Laugh – Assembly George Square

A standing ovation at a Fringe show speaks volumes. Paul Hendy's (writer and director) The Last Laugh deserves loud applause and whoops of appreciation. It is funny and touching. The set is perfect, the lighting spot on and the performers are wonderful. Bob Golding as Eric Morecambe has that lovely little bounce perfected; Damien Williams channels the late Tommy Cooper brilliantly and Simon Cartwright’s Bob Monkhouse looks and sounds just like the man himself, right down to the mahogany tan. The warm-up music is a sound bath of Bernard Cribbins, which my neighbour joyously sang along with. Songs about a man digging a hole or Ernie and his horse and cart … there are few silly comedy songs these days, if any. Aimed at a predominantly baby boomer audience with money to spare and...

28Jun

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Twelfth Night – Stafford Gatehouse

For those of you not around for the premiere in 1601 you missed a belter. The Bard’s buoyant and feisty tale of shipwrecked twins rent asunder amidst a fearsome tempest (not to be confused with the other Tempest by the same writer) to be finally washed up on the shores of the lyrical land of Illyria has held audiences enthralled for decades and, if this production is anything to go by, will for many more. Music is, indeed, the food of love in this sparkling new production at the Stafford Gatehouse it’s a fulsome menu of tasty titbits served by kitchen full of Michelin-starred chefs. Sean Turner’s unique interpretation of the play fizzes with invention, joy and bright new ideas - though relocating the play to a Cornish fishing village in 1958 does strip it of its usual pastoral idyll it ...