The cast and writer of comedy play The Last Laugh made a special visit this week to view the notebooks and newly acquired diaries of Eric Morecambe.
We reported back in March that the University of York had acquired the handwritten joke books by the British comedy genius Eric Morecambe, and the actors and writer visited the Borthwick Institute where they joined the archive team for an ’emotional’, private viewing.
The Last Laugh, playing at the Grand Opera House York this week, 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 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 said: “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 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) said: “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 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, said: “It’s been a delight to welcome the cast of The Last Laugh to Borthwick and we have loved seeing them connect 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 is showing at the Grand Opera House until Saturday 14 June. Tickets start from £15 and are available via the ATG website, and read our review of the show here.
