(5 / 5)

The Last Laugh is much more than exceptionally talented performers doing impressions of three comedy greats of the past. The portrayals here are incredibly touching and eerily true to life in the tiniest expressions and mannerisms. Penned by Paul Hendy, this is a production that reaches beyond the public personas of these three giants of British comedy to reveal the personalities, the insecurities and the battles of the men beneath. It’s definitely a rib tickler of a production but it’s much more than that, with moments of poignancy and a final tableau that breaks the audience’s collective hearts.

From the moment Damian Williams appears on stage in vest, pants, duck feet and, of course, Cooper’s infamous fez, we are drawn to this infectious, honest, compelling performance. The voice, mannerisms, the easy way with the audience are all spot on; the ‘just like that,’ the laugh, the endless abuse of Bob Monkhouse, is all eerily accurate of the late comedian. His quieter moments counterbalance this perfectly, his blank stares into the mirror, the glance out to the audience as he picks up his props, alone. The final, heartbreaking scenes are delivered with absolute poise and the silence from the audience, where there once was laughter, is palpable.

Simon Cartwright’s portrayal of Bob Monkhouse truly captures the essence of the famous comedian and presenter whom many of us will remember from shows like Opportunity Knocks or Family Fortunes. The voice is spot on; it sounds like Bob is really on stage, once again the mannerisms and stage presence of this comedy great is exceptionally accurate. I was really struck with Simon’s way of dealing with Bob’s difficulties; a comedy partner who committed suicide, a disabled child, a difficult marriage. Although his character is quieter and more reserved than his co-stars he still stands shoulder to shoulder with them, which is impressive.

A new addition to this tour is Steve Royle, portraying Eric Morecambe. His performance is delightful, joyously buoyant, but with heartfelt poignancy where needed. It must be difficult to join such an established cast, but Steve does so with ease; it seems as though he has been there from the start. Like the others, this is no mere impression, it’s as if the legendary comedian has burst into life before our eyes. The physicality of Morecambe is also perfectly captured, the infamous movement of the glasses, the well loved stage exit skipping and my favourite line of his (about the order of some absolutely correct notes), is delightfully delivered.

So yes, this is a ‘laugh a minute’ as other critics have said, but what truly gives it its staying power is ultimately the portrayal of the human beings behind these facades. It was interesting to hear that the play had gone to New York and, although the theatre goers there didn’t really know the comedians being portrayed, it was the familiar ‘lived in’ experience of simply being human that still made the production resonate with the stateside attendees.

If you love any, or all three of these personalities then this is a must-see. But even if you don’t know their catalogue of work, it’s still an important piece of theatre to attend. It’s a masterclass in storytelling; the last twist of the story, the final flash of the mirror lights and the final call to stage are devastating and brings a tear to the eye where there were, only moments before, a ‘last laugh.’

Image Credit Kirsten McTernan

(5 / 5)

Please note this review contains strong language, mature content and detailed description of the plot.

Physical Education, written by Jonathan Houlston (who also plays Joe) and directed by Richard Mylan, is a play about how mental health and masculinity affects teenage boys, explored across many scenes and set entirely in one room.

As you walk into the theatre space, the atmosphere immediately gives off a sense of the changing room at school. It’s intimate, there’s nowhere to hide: seats on three sides of the stage, a block of lockers in the middle, and the speakers play grungy, garage-type music. Electronic, repeated sounds, with a good bass. There is more of this type of music throughout. It sets the scene, complimenting the youthful but dark themes the show explores.

The show opens with a song about smashing and a guy walks onto the stage in football kit, looking into the audience, before a bunch of lads come on holding a bench each. They jump around, showing themselves off as ‘hard’, shouting and taunting. You can practically smell the testosterone. They set the benches down and begin changing into their kit ready for PE, talking to each other.

There’s lots of offensive and harsh language in this play: the way they talk about women, banging them, mentioning their cocks, different ways they describe sex, showing off that they could ‘pull any bird’, what they’d make the woman do, but also, a lot of it is them bullying each other (played off as ‘just banter’). They put each other down, teasing about their body count, being fat, being too ‘weak’. They even use gay or the ‘f’ slur as an insult (which I can’t believe is still an insult), and once we find out that two of the boys are gay and dating each other, it hits even harder. It’s very shocking and not easy to listen to at times. The audience are not eased into the subject matter at all, we are thrown straight into it, and it’s very fast-paced. But I think that is so effective.

There’s lots of comedy in it too, even during the sharp bits of dialogue, but that only adds to the themes even more, and the production utilises transitions and sound well, including having school noise and an underlying bass in certain sections to add tension.

It’s excellent at examining what it really means to be masculine vs feminine, strong vs weak, being true to yourself vs hiding, hurting and pain, the different experiences everyone has, their relationships, and why that might lead them to the choices they make.

The biggest bully and the one with the foulest language is a lad called Jason. His closest friend is Joe, and he’s quite nasty in his ‘banter’ to everyone, but he even bullies Joe. He spikes Joe on two occasions: in a party we don’t see and in the Halloween party we do, by adding more vodka to his drink and getting him to sniff some drugs. He doesn’t see it as spiking, however. This is probably how he, and boys like him in the real world, live with the decisions they make. Adding labels such as ‘spiking’ your mate makes it sound really negative, so he just describes it as ‘only topping up Joe’s drink’. He makes Max kneel in front of him and open his mouth in one scene when there is no one else there in the changing room, and he walks up to him. His privates and Max’s mouth are very close to each other. His attitude towards women is very derogatory and objectifying.

But the show is really good at showing every perspective. The reason he reacts like this is because of his home life. It’s never stated but fairly obvious, as one day he turns up with bruising around his eye and makes up a different lie each time he’s asked about it. Later on, it’s just him and Miss Rider, the teacher, in the changing room, and it seems like he’s about to open up. We can hear voices in his head shouting that he’s a ‘f****** waste of space’, implying that his home dynamic and the bruise are related (we can work out the rest). Just as he’s beginning to speak, one of the lads comes in. The moment is lost. Who knows what might have happened if he’d have been able to speak about it?

It all comes to a head at the Halloween party, and we see what can happen if we allow young men to think that speaking in the way that they do is acceptable. Also, if they stay silent and don’t challenge people when they hear it, this language will remain. It is damaging and hurtful to women, as well as to boys themselves. They need help despite how tough they feel pressured appearing.

Physical Education is a brilliant take on mental health and how your relationships and childhood shape who you are, especially for boys in the current climate. It’s fast-paced and not afraid to touch on the darkest of topics, but it also makes you laugh.

I urge everyone to come and see this play at the Grand Theatre.

In this interview with Natalia Lewis, Managing Director from RE:ACT Performing & Production Arts we learn more about their work.

Across Wales, there is extraordinary creative talent.

Young people with imagination, confidence waiting to grow, and communities full of stories, ideas and creativity. Yet for many people, the route into the arts can still feel unclear, distant or simply out of reach. Working across theatre, arts training and community-based and professional creative projects, one of the questions we find ourselves asking more and more is this:

How do we help make routes into the arts feel more possible?

The barriers can vary greatly for different people. Sometimes it is financial. Sometimes it is geography. Sometimes it is confidence, transport, family circumstance or simply never feeling like spaces in the arts are ‘for people like me’. In many communities, particularly outside major cities, high-quality opportunities can feel difficult to access. Professional training can feel far away. Creative careers can feel disconnected from everyday life. That feels like an important conversation for all of us working in the sector.

At RE:ACT Performing & Production Arts, we often think about how we can play a small part in removing barriers. We deliberately work in communities across Wales because we believe young people should not have to leave their area to access meaningful creative opportunities. We currently offer funded places at every branch, keep fees intentionally affordable, and welcome young people without auditions. We are also passionate about helping young people see the professional world of the arts up close. Whether through visiting industry professionals, workshops, masterclasses or relationships with wider creative organisations, we want young people in Wales to feel connected to opportunities and to understand that creative careers are genuinely possible.

Importantly, we also try to widen the idea of what a creative future can look like. Not every young person wants to stand centre stage. Some discover a passion for directing, technical theatre, stage management, writing, producing or backstage work, careers that are just as important to the industry but often spoken about less. Creating routes into both performing and production arts feels particularly important, especially for young people who may never have realised those opportunities exist.

We also know that access is not only about affordability. Sometimes access means opportunity arriving closer to home. For a young person in Swansea, Llanelli, the Rhondda or another community where opportunities may feel more limited, it might mean meeting a visiting industry professional for the first time. It might mean stepping into a theatre space, building confidence, or realising creative careers are not reserved for ‘other people’. Those moments matter.

At Dog With A Bone Creative Studio, we think about similar questions through a different lens. How can professional creative work leave something meaningful behind? Alongside productions and immersive experiences, we increasingly try to build wider social value into projects, whether through free workshops for schools, education resources, charity partnerships, fundraising support or opportunities for local engagement.

We have also been asking ourselves a wider question.

Can theatre and creative experiences leave more than memories?

Can they help build confidence? Create aspiration? Introduce someone to a creative pathway they had never considered before? We certainly do not have all the answers.

Like many organisations, we are navigating questions around accessibility, sustainability and how to ensure opportunities feel genuinely open. We certainly do not have all the answers, but, like a dog with a bone, we continually strive to find them.

But across Wales, there are brilliant organisations, venues, artists and educators all trying to widen access and strengthen routes into the arts. Perhaps that is where meaningful change happens. Not through one perfect solution, but through organisations, artists, educators, venues and communities all coming together and playing their part.

Because talent exists everywhere in Wales. Opportunity should too.