“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but it is in the script…”
“There’s a script?”
“Not tonight there’s not!”
Ladies and gentlemen, we hope you’re having a lovely evening – and if you’re not sharing a bed with your appropriately-aged best friend, how could you be? In celebration of the comedians’ 100th birthdays, the UK’s leading Morecambe and Wise tribute act has returned after a sellout tour in 2022. Now at Lowry, Salford for a limited-edition run, ‘Eric & Ern’ guarantees a night of love, sunshine and laughter for fans old and new alike.
After a sparkling debut at the Edinburgh Fringe (or technically, their five-minute skit at the Stage Golfing Society’s ‘70s Night in 2002), Jonty Stephens (Eric Morecambe) and Ian Ashpitel (Ernie Wise) have brought the UK’s greatest variety show back from the grave – and even brought in their own Eddie Braben-inspired jokes as a bonus. In a glittering new remaster, the 2026 tour spills over with treasures from the ice cream van, to Mr Memory (‘Arsenal!’), and more, all delivered with a fondness palpable from beginning to end.
“The diehard Morecambe and Wise fans, who grew up with Morecambe and Wise, all bring their children and grandchildren now,” Stephens remarked in a Quays Life interview earlier this month – and reader, include your reviewer in the latter category. At 22, I’m just past the vintage of the dynamic duo, but that doesn’t mean the joy of watching Morecambe play the ‘right keys in the wrong order’ was in any way diminished. Charming, innocent, with the odd poke at pettiness, my first impression of this Morecambe and Wise was somewhere near Bert and Ernie after a sherry too many – and I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction.
Stephens and Ashpitel are a delight to watch as they skip onto the stage, and are brilliant in their rosy revival of a bygone era of comedy. Childish, twitching, and unwavering in his commitment to jumping to the wrong conclusion, Stephens’ Morecambe is forever fizzing with nervous energy. Ashpitel’s Wise, meanwhile, remains the proud peacock of the pair, swanning under the spotlights with an unshakeable charm – which quickly goes down the pan at the slightest breath of wind towards his hairline. The new dynamic duo know their inspirations back-to-front and inside-out, and are uncanny in their apparent ability to read each other’s minds; no wonder an audience member asked if they were about to propose!
And like every great Morecambe and Wise act, there is – as ever – an unfortunate stooge to be used, abused, and bemused, and West End performer Olivia Fines fits the bill perfectly. Having performed “across the world, and in Stockport”, Fines’ brilliant vocals make her a class act on stage, as does her willingness to join in the fun of her hapless hosts. Her rendition of ‘Where are the Clowns’ is beautifully soulful – oh Olivia, if only you would just look behind you!
Stephens and Ashpitel’s ‘Eric & Ern’ is what you get when you put the souls of two old men inside two little boys inside two middle aged men with a dream. The jokes stack, the personalities rival, and the delightful charm of golden age comedy is beautifully revived.
‘Eric & Ern’ is a sprawling banquet of jokes both old and new, and leaves no stone unturned in its tribute to Britain’s greatest dynamic duo. “If you liked this show, we’ve been Morecambe and Wise – and if you haven’t, we’ve been Mike and Bernie Winters!”
We loved it!
Eric & Ern is at Lowry, Salford fro 22-28 March 2026.
Read our interview with stars Ian Ashpitel and Jonty Stephens.