Andrew White watches Paul Hendy’s affectionate, laugh-out-loud play – and finds it devastatingly funny, poignant and superbly acted.

Three of Britain’s greatest comedy legends share a dressing room and dissect the secret of being funny – really funny – in Paul Hendy’s affectionate, laugh-out-loud play, The Last Laugh, which opened at Darlington Hippodrome to a rapturous reception this week.

The premise of the play is simple. Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe, and Bob Monkhouse meet in a run-down dressing room, surrounded by photographs of departed comedians who once trod these boards.

From this intimate setting emerges a side-splitting, often poignant love letter to the golden age of television comedy and its enduring influence on the entertainment world.

The acting is superb across the board, with Damian Williams, Steve Royle, and Simon Cartwright perfectly capturing the speech patterns, mannerisms, and attitudes of Cooper, Morecambe, and Monkhouse.

Simon Cartwright embodies Bob Monkhouse’s meticulous gag-craft with authentic presence (Image: PAMELA RAITH)

Cartwright, who knew Monkhouse in real life, brings a particular authenticity to Bob, while Williams and Royle embody Cooper’s baffled charm and Morecambe’s self-deprecating brilliance with equal conviction.

It is clear the cast hold a genuine affection for the men they portray – something underscored in a second-half Q&A, where the actors, now out of costume, spoke with evident regard for their subjects.

This is a play, not a stand-up show, yet it is devastatingly funny – bellylaugh funny – with jokes cleverly woven into the plot.

Damian Williams brings Tommy Cooper’s baffled charm and “funny bones” vividly to life (Image: PAMELA RAITH)

Many gags will be familiar to fans, but they land with fresh impact as the trio gently mock one another while respecting each other’s craft.

The heart of the piece lies in their discussion of why they make people laugh. Monkhouse agonises over every word as a ‘gag man’, Morecambe doubts he would have made it without Ernie Wise – despite the others insisting he could – while Cooper simply has ‘funny bones’ and no real insight into why.

A recurring theme of ‘dying’ on stage – failing to get a laugh – chimes poignantly with the comedians’ actual demises, notably Cooper’s on-stage collapse during a live TV performance.

Other tragedies are explored, but never laid on with a trowel and each sombre moment is swiftly undercut by another laugh.

Hendy’s script fairly rattles along – like a Monkhouse gag, not a word is out of place. The dressing room set, with its gallery of departed comics, is integral, grounding the banter in a tangible sense of legacy.

Steve Royle captures Eric Morecambe’s self-deprecating brilliance and perfect comic timing (Image: PAMELA RAITH)

Cooper probably garners the biggest laughs from the appreciative Darlington audience, but Morecambe’s famous line about playing “all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order” almost brings the house down.

At the end, the performers received a well-deserved standing ovation, reflecting both the enduring affection for these comedy giants and appreciation for three superb performances.

The Q&A that followed brought more laughs and, most importantly, demonstrated just how much regard the actors hold for these three legends.

If this play proves anything, it’s that Cooper, Morecambe and Monkhouse will never truly leave the stage – because great comedy never dies.

The Last Laugh runs at Darlington Hippodrome to Saturday, August 22. For full details or to book, visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01325-405405.

Northern Rail has confirmed that services between Bolton and Darwen have all been cancelled whilst engineers remove the tree.

Services between Rochdale and Blackburn were first cancelled at 5.51am, with trains terminated at Bolton.

Hall I’ Th’ Wood, Bromley Cross, Darwen and Blackburn have all been affected by the incident.

A Northern spokesperson said: “We apologise for the cancellation of this service today.

“If the train you have a ticket for is cancelled, you can travel on any Northern, TransPennine Express and East Midlands Railway service within 2 hours before or after your cancelled service was due to depart.

“If you require any connecting services, please check information screens, visit the Northern Rail website or speak to a member of staff where available.”

Two rail replacement services have been scheduled to travel from Bolton to Blackburn at 8.10am and 9.10am.

Four are due to run in the opposite direction at 8.10am, 9.10am, 10.10am and 11.10am.

Anyone delayed for more than 15 minutes can claim compensation by visiting the delay-repay website.

Businesses say a range of factors put them off hiring apprentices.

Hannah Larsen, policy officer at the British Chambers of Commerce, said demand for degree apprenticeship was rising “at a time when businesses’ operating margins are under increasing pressure”.

“Higher employment costs, alongside wider economic uncertainty, mean recruitment is being paused, with younger and less experienced workers hit hardest,” she said.

She added that there was “considerable uncertainty over the future of apprenticeship funding”.

At Yorkshire-based manufacturing company Fives, most apprentices are at lower levels and study at nearby Keighley College, but there is one degree apprentice.

Jo Jackson, head of human resources, said she would like to hire more apprentices but training is expensive and the content apprentices are taught is not always “flexible enough”.

“Business needs are changing all the time, but it’s very, very difficult to change the syllabus,” she said.

“If we think about AI and how it’s changing the world of work, the apprenticeships don’t cover that.

“They can’t change quickly enough to keep up.”

Heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely to lead to travel disruption and flash flooding in some places

The Met Office has issued a weather warning across Northern Ireland on Wednesday.

A yellow warning for thunderstorms will be in effect from 12noon on August 19 and last until 23:59 affecting all counties.

The forecaster said: “Heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely to lead to travel disruption and flash flooding in some places.”

The Met Office added: “A band of heavy showers is expected to spread across Northern Ireland from west to east late morning and early afternoon, with further slow-moving heavy showers or thunderstorms developing later.

“Within these showers, 15-20 mm of rain is likely in an hour or less, with a few places probably seeing 25-30 mm in a couple of hours. While rain will be the primary hazard, hail and lightning are also likely in places.”

As for what to expect during the yellow weather warning, the Met Office has issued some details.

They said:

• There is a good chance driving conditions will be affected by spray, standing water and/or hail, leading to longer journey times by car and bus
• Some flooding of a few homes and businesses likely, leading to some damage to buildings or structures
• Probably some damage to a few buildings and structures from lightning strikes
• Delays to train services are possible
• Some short-term loss of power and other services is likely

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

The victim remains in hospital

A man has been stabbed in Cambridge. Cambridgeshire Police were called to “reports of violence” in Tenison Road at around 9pm on Tuesday (August 18).

A man was taken to hospital with stab wounds and remains in hospital. Officers arrested two men in connection with the incident.

A police spokesperson said: “Two men in their 20s were arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and remain in custody at this time.”

The East of England Ambulance Service were called to reports of an assault just after 9pm. An ambulance spokesperson said: “We were called at 9.05pm yesterday to reports of an assault on the junction of Tenison Road and Mill Road in Cambridge.

“An ambulance, ambulance officer vehicle and a rapid response vehicle were sent to the scene. An adult man was transported to hospital for further treatment.”

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National Rail says passengers affected can travel on the next Northern service to their destination, where available.

Northern tickets may be used at no additional costs on-board the following Bee Network buses: 8, 36, 37, 38, 50, V1, V2, 471, 480, 507, 521, 524, 525, 527, 533, 534, 537 and 541.

Northern train ticket restrictions have been lifted in the affected areas, including Advance and Peak restrictions, during this disruption.

Restrictions will be reinstated once the disruption ends, National Rail says.

Man United are aware of interest in Bruno Fernandes, amid reports of a £43million bid from Galatasaray, and are said to be interested in Adam Wharton and Kim Min-jae. Liverpool, though, are set to pass up on the option to sign Ibrahim Mbaye but have taken another huge step towards bringing in his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Bradley Barcola.

By LUCY EVANS, SENIOR MONEY REPORTER

Updated: 10:00 BST, 19 August 2026

The taxman has ramped up its crackdown on cryptocurrency investors suspected of tax evasion, This is Money can reveal.

Crypto traders thought to have underpaid taxes on their investments have been warned via a barrage of letters sent out by HM Revenue and Customs.

It has posted 81,000 warning letters to those suspected of underpaying tax in the past year – a 25 per cent increase on the 65,000 letters it sent in the previous year, according to a Freedom of Information request obtained by accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young.

Warnings may come in the form of a letter, text message or notification.

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Tax authorities are expected to probe swathes of traders next year when it starts to receive telling transaction data from cryptocurrency exchanges.

But before these investigations are launched, the tax authority is sending the ‘nudge’ letters to urge crypto holders to declare unpaid tax.

More than 80,000 letters have been sent to investors urging them to cough up unpaid tax

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The price of the most popular cryptocurrency, bitcoin, has softened recently, falling from around $117,000 a year ago to around $63,000 today.

But tax officials suspect there are large amounts of unpaid tax from the bull run crypto assets saw in the three years to October 2025.

Like any other asset, investors must pay capital gains tax on any profits they receive when they ‘dispose’ of their cryptocurrency.

This can be if you sell it, exchange it for a different type of crypto asset, use it to pay for goods or give it to another investor.

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Everyone gets a £3,000 CGT-free allowance every tax year, but if your profit exceeds this then you must pay tax at 18 per cent for basic-rate taxpayers, and 24 per cent for everyone else.

Neela Chauhan, partner at UHY Hacker Young, says: ‘There is the expectation among tax authorities that cryptocurrency investment is rife with tax evasion.

‘A lot of the traders are young, have had little previous exposure to HMRC and often work under the assumption that HMRC has limited visibility over their activities.

‘Crypto investors often forget that you may still have made a taxable gain even when you are swapping one cryptocurrency for another and might not be aware that the income you can earn by lending cryptocurrencies is taxable.’

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The number of tax investigations into crypto investors is set to soar next year as the department will receive data on traders from swathes of online crypto marketplaces.

Officials can currently ask UK cryptocurrency businesses for information about taxpayers.

But by the end of May they will receive data on UK residents from cryptocurrency exchanges in 52 different jurisdictions, including the Channel Islands, the Cayman Islands and Ireland, as well as the UK.

Information passed between officials will include an investor’s name, address, National Insurance number and full transaction records.

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One year later, another 15 jurisdictions will start handing over information to HMRC.

Investors trying to dodge tax will then be probed by authorities, which will be armed with this data.

Ms Chauhan adds: ‘Once HMRC has this data then tax investigations into cryptocurrency investors will be like shooting fish in a barrel.’

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Teenagers can access GCSE results online for the first time on the Education Record app

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Students can access GCSE results online for the first time in 2026 thanks to a new education app.

Students can still traditionally collect results from their school tomorrow morning, and timings may vary depending on the school. This year, students can access grades through the Education Record app, after a trial involving 95,000 students in Manchester and the West Midlands last summer.

The Mirror reports the app offers a digital record for future use when applying for further education or employment and will be updated on results day.

What time are GCSE results released in schools?

GCSE results will be available to students by schools from 8am on Thursday, however timings can depend on the school and what the teachers have decided. Individual schools set their own collection arrangements and will inform students what time they should arrive on site to pick up their envelopes.

Are GCSE results released online?

For the first time this year many GCSE students will be able to see their results online on the Education Record App. Results will update online on the Education Record app at 11am.

The Department of Education announced the £30m app in January. Schools using the app need to provide a QR code to students to link to their record.

What happens if you can’t collect your GCSE results on Thursday?

If students are ill, on holiday or unable to visit the school, they can typically arrange in advance to receive their results by email or post. Emails will generally arrive on results day but grades sent through post could take a bit longer.

The process will depend on the school. Students may also be able to nominate someone else to collect their results, just make the person brings a signed letter and photo ID.

By TAMARA PRENN, SENIOR SPORTS REPORTER

Published: 09:38 BST, 19 August 2026 | Updated: 09:49 BST, 19 August 2026