REVIEW: THE LAST LAUGH by Richard Harris at The Tabard until 3 December 2022

‘The Last Laugh is an hilarious, witty and poignant delight, which reminds us all that the theatre matters. Always has and always will.’ ★★★★ 1/2

An impeccable, minimalist set invites you into the world of The Last Laugh: an unassuming yet respectable office belonging to some sort of authority figure. A newspaper sticks out of the bin, and we can make out the word ‘AXED’ on its front page. A young man comes in. We soon realise that there is some sort of commotion going on outside. As the young man makes a rude gesture, then sits down when he hears police sirens, we know immediately where we are: a rebel who doesn’t want to conform, about to be challenged. The authority figure comes in. And the laughs begin. 

Set against the backdrop of a war, ‘The Last Laugh’ concerns a playwright (Matt Wake) who meets with a humourless government censor (David Tarkenter) in order to get his approval for his comedy play. Adapted by Richard Harris, based on the original ‘Warai No Daigaku’ by Koki Mitani, ‘The Last Laugh’ is a laugh a minute show. Hilarious and full of clever references and nods to the audience, it is full of one-liners, exceptionally delivered by Tarkenter and Wake, as the two play off each other throughout the play. One could look at it as a slightly different take on the play-within-a-play motif, by virtue of the Writer and the Censor re-enacting the comedy play, complete with suggestions, ad-libs and recurring blow-by-blow accounts of how and why this play is funny. The play? Romeo and Juliet: A Comedy. You can imagine how this must throw the Censor off completely. 

It is perhaps no surprise, however, that, given the context and backdrop, The Last Laugh doesn’t shy away from more emotional and sombre moments, particularly in the second half. These moments give us some background, as we slowly come to realise why the Censor acts the way he does. As these two characters bounce off each other, their arc throughout the play makes perfect sense and their humanity, sensitivity and ultimately their bond is a welcome outcome, among the array of funny lines, play re-enactments and bird-feeding methods. 

As a former theatre kid myself, The Last Laugh reignited in me that feeling that comes from experiencing the joys of theatre. The backdrop outside puts things into perspective and ultimately gives the arts their due. And there is perhaps no art form more immediate, more prevalent and more consistently current than the theatre. The Last Laugh is an hilarious, witty and poignant delight, which reminds us all that the theatre matters. Always has and always will.

Photography: Andreas Grieger

The Last Laugh by Richard Harris

The Tabard, Chiswick, 9 November 2022 – 3 December 2022 

Box Office: www.tabard.org.uk/whats-on/the-last-laugh/

Carol Saint Martin is a screenwriter, playwright, pop culture blogger, magazine contributor and film host at the Cinema Museum. Her TV pilot DEADLINE, REDFERN CITY and her stage plays have reached the finals of several competitions.