The Theatre at the Tabard presents its first in-house production in its relaunch season with The Last Laugh, a hilarious and moving satire about freedom of expression and censorship. The Last Laugh By Richard Harris (Stepping Out, A Touch of Frost), is adapted from an original play by Japanese writer Kōki Mitani. It premiered in 2007, going on national tour with Martin Freeman and Roger Lloyd Pack in the lead roles.
Directed by Nick Bromley and starring David Tarkenter as the Censor and Matt Wake as the Writer, The Last Laugh is an intelligent, funny and moving play and plays for a limited four week run at the Tabard.
The play is set in a dystopian state with a war outside creeping ever closer. The play explores the definition of comedy is and the importance of laughter.
A beleaguered comedy writer meets a stubborn government censor with no sense of humour in repeated attempts to gain approval for his new play.
As the writer jumps through the censor’s hoops, a new play emerges while the two very different men come to understand one another and build an unlikely bond.
The Artiscape spoke with Matt Wake who plays The Writer. His theatre credits include Lately and The Players of Dieudoné (Lion and Unicorn Theatre).
Can you tell us about the play?
Matt: The Last Laugh is about a young writer who has created a play that he’s looking to stage with his theatre company. The problem is, he’s living in a totalitarian state that’s currently at war, and his play must receive government approval. The government official tasked with scrutinising the play is a hilariously tough and ultra-suspicious ex-soldier, who knows pretty much nothing about theatre. The writer tries desperately to get this guy’s approval, and the two find themselves having debates that are both hilarious and moving. It’s a great laugh and it’s really quite thought-provoking too.
What attracted you to the script?
Matt: To be honest, it was the simplicity of it. There is very little said about where or when the play is set; there are just two characters, neither of which have names. When you strip away those details, not only is there so much you can imagine as an actor, but also the play becomes universally accessible. These two people could be anybody and they could be anywhere what’s important is the questions they stumble upon. And these questions are explored in a really funny way. It’s not a lecture about what’s right and wrong, it’s an honest exploration that allows us to laugh at ourselves and our fallibility as humans.
Can you tell us about the character you play?
Matt: I play the writer. He’s an idealistic guy that always tries to see the good in people, but he’s living in a war-torn country ruled by fascists. It’s a juxtaposition that I find really endearing. The writer is unwilling to let what’s going on around him affect his passion for the theatre. I love that about him, but sometimes you just wanna slap him across the face and tell him to be a bit more practical. His big mouth and beaming smile can get him into trouble more than he’d like. He’s young, dumb and broke and he just wants to be an artist, but he could really do with some common sense.
What are you looking forward to about performing in the production?
Matt: I always think that when you have a long run, it’s a gift. The more shows you do, the more you become comfortable with the text and the more you learn about your character. The goal is to trust that you can play within the scene and see what new things you find. We’ve got 4 weeks of doing this show, so I’m looking forward to seeing how things differ each night and how our characters evolve. That’s not to say the final show should be any better or worse than the first, but I think it’s exciting to acknowledge that we will be in different places as actors, so naturally our characters will be in different places too.
What do you think an audience will take away from the play?
Matt: First and foremost I hope they have a great time. At the end of the day, it’s a comedy and I want people to come away feeling that they’ve had a really fun night out. Beyond that, The Last Laugh is about two guys with starkly opposing political and cultural viewpoints, asking important questions, and ultimately finding common ground. If people come away feeling that there is something we can learn from everyone, no matter how different to us they may seem, then that would be amazing.
The Last Laugh runs from 9th November – 3rd December at the Theatre at the Tabbard.
Theatre at the Tabbard
