Thankfully, my estate was not as harsh and unforgiving as Paradise Heights, the creation of writer, actor, director, Joe O’Byrne. There are currently five episodes of O’Byrne’s series, ‘Tales from Paradise Heights’. One of them, ‘The Bench’, is playing in the studio theatre at Bolton’s Octagon.

On a simple set – a war memorial, a litter bin, and the eponymous bench – O’Byrne and the five other members of his troupe play out a series of scenes (some stand alone, some interlinked) which offer a satisfying range of characters, moods and emotions.

It is night. ‘Little Rabbit’ (Jeni Williams) sits alone on the bench. Underneath her dark raincoat, she wears only stockings and sexy red underwear. She is about to be subjected to a “surprise attack” by Mr Wolf (Peter Slater). Unfortunately, Mr Wolf can’t quite play his part well enough to arouse…well…his part, no matter how willing the spirit might be. Enter the hapless, homeless Eric (Joe O’Byrne). Can he really be Little Rabbit’s secret lover, now confronted by an irate Wolf? Might jealousy (even manufactured jealousy) prove to be the missing ingredient for Wolf and Rabbit?

And so, we’re off on a journey of discovery (or, for loyal followers of ‘Tales from Paradise Heights’, rediscovery) of the characters who populate this deprived locale.

Lennie (Peter Slater) and Archie (Hector Macduff) are two elderly veterans laying a wreath at the war memorial in honour of fallen comrades. They discuss Archie’s world war memorabilia, that he’s planning to sell (no doubt to make ends meet). It’s a low key, sobering tale of how a country can fall short in its duty to those who serve.

Unfortunately, the villainous and menacing Matty (Peter Slater), with assistance from his mouthy toy-boy Jake (Jack Vardy), plans to steal Archie’s treasures and sell them himself.

Meanwhile, the intimidating Matty is underpaying needy shoplifter, Gabrielle (Abbie Richardson) for a designer handbag she’s stolen to order. A talented but untutored artist, Gabrielle needs a champion. Could the doting Eric be hiding shining armour under his shabby overcoat?

Trainee angel, Corny (Hector Macduff) can’t quite let go of the place where he grew up. His mentor, Shirley (Abbie Richardson) seems to promise him a very particular kind of heaven, if only he can refrain from interfering and just be a watcher of the affairs of the living, as he’s meant to be.

Heavenly (though slightly naughty) angels or earthly devils, everybody knows well enough to give the psychotic gangster, Frank Morgan (Joe O’Byrne) a wide berth. Well, almost everybody. Kev (Hector Macduff) might be just out of prison, but seems to be too firmly in the grip of his despicable urges to avoid crossing paths with Frank. He might not live to regret it…

And so it goes; theft and threat, love and laughter. And violence, of course. There’s no lack of that on Paradise Heights.

O’Byrne’s skills in storytelling, dialogue and character offer his ensemble plenty to get their teeth into, and they don’t hold back. The pace is relentless without ever being frenetic. You’re not gripped by this story? Don’t fret. There’ll be another one along in a few minutes.

At two hours plus running time, ‘The Bench’ certainly gives value for money. The moods swing from funny to romantic, to pitiable, to coldhearted and downright terrifying. You will surely have your own favourite scene.

Mine is the first encounter between nervous, chirpy street sweeper, Colin (Peter Slater) and the fragile Janice (still grieving for, and indeed talking to, her late husband, Barry). Colin and Janice flirt via corny/clever jokes about ice cream and brushes. Slater and Williams lap up the dialogue and each plays off the other with relish and skill. Together they create one of the most witty, charming and moving love scenes I have ever seen on stage.

Judging by the closing ovation, I think it’s safe to say a good time was had by all.

The Bench: A Tale from Paradise Heights is at the Octagon Theatre Bolton from 28-30 May 2026

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But don’t let Jenna’s sweet singing, about her mum’s homemade deep-dish pie, fool you into thinking this musical is no more than another saccharine soaked tale.

There is much more to this young waitress from small town USA than meets the eye. And who could be better to take us on this journey for the show’s 10^th anniversary production than Carrie Hope Fletcher.

Fletcher is something of a modern-day phenomenon – a top-quality musical actress; a Grammy nominated singer, an author of both adult and children’s books, and (according to the Sunday Times) one of the UK’s top 100 social media influencers. The love for her in the auditorium is tangible and I’ve never seen so many people waiting outside the stage door for autographs as I did after the show on Tuesday night. Whatever part of her multi-faceted career this following is coming from, her sensational performance as Jenna cements her top billing and guarantees she’ll leave the run with an even bigger fan base.

The other recognisable name on the posters is Les Dennis, taking on the role of Old Joe who owns the diner where Jenna works. Dennis in his one big solo number doesn’t even pretend to be a singer yet still manages to make it a showstopper. What he lacks vocally he more than makes up for with his well-honed comic timing and the ability to draw the audience in to the heart of a character and make us care.

There are other acutely drawn performances from Mark Willshire as Jenna’s abusive and self-absorbed husband, Earl; as well as from Sandra Marvin and Evelyn Hoskins as Jenna’s friends and work mates Becky and Dawn.

Now I’ve already warned the ingredients of this musical aren’t all sweet and there is a pile of inappropriate relationships thrown in that will leave you cringing. But on the whole it is an uplifting mix with a sprinking of spice to give it an unexpected and memorable kick.

Waitress is at the Palace Theatre, Manchester from 26-30 May 2026 before carrying on its UK 10th anniversary tour.

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Rory Mullarkey explores what it means to be a Mancunian past and present in his panoramic survey of who we are, our roots and the 1996 IRA bomb which became the turning point for Manchester to reinvent itself.

The play opens in Angel Meadow on St Michael’s Flags in the 19^th century, with Irishwoman Annie Donovan swearing to revenge death on the person who killed her pig – also called Annie. Played by Elaine Cassidy with bulldozer energy, Annie strides across filth-ridden Angel Meadow and its salubrious characters without so much as a look-back. Everyone in the city is caught up in the grimy swirl of the industrial revolution, none more so than the Irish immigrant population filling up Manchester’s underclass.

Mullarkey then swiftly transposes us to 1996 and a sweltering hot day in June. Market Street is awash with the usual baggage of shoppers and characters flit on and off the stage, some in less than a few seconds. Some roller skate, some push prams, some stroll uncertainly after one too many. But they all make up the fabric of this indomitable city.

We are given vignettes of city centre life on that fateful Saturday: a husband and wife shop for clothes; a young boy undergoes a viola exam at Chethams; people queue to make phone calls from a BT box (remember them?); bored teenagers hang around looking moody.

This tableau of life is narrated by Jenny (Katherine Pearce) as the mood suddenly turns darker: a police cordon is put in place, Corporation Street is inaccessible, no one knows what’s going on as the heat only intensifies. Until, that is, an earth-shattering boom rings out and clouds of dust rain down on everyone. In one unforgettable moment a pregnant woman is lifted 10 feet in the air after taking the full force of the bomb blast. It is a moment of shock and silence in the theatre.

The production is funny and fast-paced. A runner down the centre of the stage ingeniously allows for dining tables and cars to be propelled across it, and at one stage a woman traverses the stage in nothing more than a swimsuit. A huge community cast adds to the authenticity of the production.

The play ends on a sombre note, with Cassidy and Pearce inhabiting two characters who chance upon in each other in Angel Meadow Park in the present day. Anti-Irish sentiment and the conversion of the city from the site of industrial warehouses to plush residential warehouse lettings gradually give way to a moving meditation on the tragedy of loss – and survival.

The production brilliantly captures the madcap spirit of Manchester and its refusal to kowtow to bombs, bigotry or bombast.

The world premiere of Even These Things is at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester from 15 May to 15 June 2026.

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We remember the music too. Joe Esposito’s uplifting ‘You’re the Best Around’ from the original soundtrack and Peter Cetera’s power ballad ‘Glory of Love’ from the sequel.

So, it’s understandable as a huge fan of the movie there is some initial scepticism on it being turned into a stage musical, especially one without its most memorable hits.

The musical premiered in St Louis, USA in 2022 and after success over the Atlantic it is now at The Palace Theatre on its first UK tour. Given my hesitation, the question wasn’t so much is there an audience for it – the 2010 remake starring Jackie Chan, and the more recent Netflix series (2018-2025) ‘Cobra Kai’ has kept interest going. And this was seen immediately in the wide range of ages watching at The Palace Theatre, from little kids to original 80s fans. My worry was more about what were they going to do with this story as a musical?

Well, the good news is, it’s not a comedy spoof. The story is played straight, and its central message of peace, balance and respect is as relevant today as it ever was.

The original music by Drew Gasparini has a ‘High School Musical’ feel and adds to the emotional intensity of the show, while the choreography by Keone and Mari Madrid makes impressive use of the fluidity in martial art katas.

At the centre of the story is Daniel LaRusso, a teenager from New Jersey who finds himself as an easy target for school bullies being the new kid in town. After one such encounter leaves his bicycle all smashed, the kind actions of maintenance man Mr Miyagi to get it back on the road leads to an unlikely friendship and LaRusso’s introduction to the art of karate.

Gino Ochello makes a remarkably confident stage debut as LaRusso bringing the audience with him on this rollercoaster with a carefully played mix of vulnerability, charm and strength. There is a sense of genuine connection in his relationship with Miyagi (Adrian Pang) that brings out the fun of their friendship. Pang’s comedy timing adds energy that keeps the scenes bouncing along. The wax on wax off sequence is just as memorable here as in the film.

There are strong performances all round, particularly from Joe Simmons who brings complexity as well as menace to bully Johnny Lawrence.

Even though we all know the ending, that final crane kick is still stunning. On screen or stage ‘The Karate Kid’ is a real crowd pleaser.

The Karate Kid the Musical is at The Palace Theatre Manchester from 13-23 May 2026, before continuing on tour.

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The Burnley businessman’s quest to open the first high street bank in 150 years has already been told as a book, a documentary and a hit Netflix film starring Rory Kinnear.

So, naturally there is much anticipation for its transfer to the stage as a musical. And the fanfare begins even before curtain-up at Lowry for its world premiere, as the man himself, Dave Fishwick arrives in his trademark white van with a Lancashire brass band.

Lowry is one of the funders and producers of this new musical alongside ROYO, Future Artists Entertainment, and Curve Leicester. There is a sense even before it starts that everyone is rooting for this home-grown musical to succeed. It is the David and Goliath feel-good tale that everyone needs right now. It feels worth the ticket price alone just to soak up these good vibes.

What we love about Fishwick is that he is fun, honest, big-hearted and a bit rough around the edges. This musical embodies that in its authenticity and tongue-in-cheek spoof numbers that see the bankers switch to Broadway slick choreography, flanked by a chorus of dancing pigs.

If you have seen the global hit musical Come From Away, this has the same feel, with a strong ensemble cast doubling roles, soaring chorus melodies and a large open stage that draws focus on the well-drawn characters.

Amy Jane Cook’s expansive set is largely static with towering mill chimneys and a Rover’s Return style local pub. But it feels like it is constantly moving with wrap around projections and director Nickolai Foster’s fast-paced action.

Rob Madge’s book and lyrics are full of wit and cheeky northern humour, brought to life with vigour and warmth by a terrific cast led by Sam Lupton as Fishwick. Lupton captures Fishwick’s determination and it would be hard not to get swept away by the passion of his plight.

There are some extra revelations in the musical too that the film glosses over, which add to the overall gutsy punch of this staging. It’s another triumphant success for this universally uplifting story.

Bank of Dave the Musical is at Lowry, Salford from 6-16 May before moving to Curve Leicester from 20-30 May 2026.

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The pair are stuck in a doom loop of waiting for you-know-who and wile away their time in petty bickering and philosophical musings. The scarred landscape (Beckett modelled it on Roussillon where he holed up during the Nazi occupation of France) is served in the production by the ragged placement of car seats acting as respite against the elements, the ground speckled with dirt. The lighting in particular deserves special mention for the soft hues it throws onto the stage, suggesting hope for when a new day eventually dawns.

Kelly and Costigan are a joy to watch, their dependency on each other as sad and wistful as it is necessary. The finish each other’s sentences, grimace and groan in unison, embrace and withdraw just as sharply, and take delight in each other’s misery. A true friendship then. Costigan gives us a Vladimir to remember, by turns hopeful and disdainful, his Salford accent providing a caustic edge to the character’s ruminations on life and death. Kelly is the more morose of the two, employing lugubrious facial expressions to convey the depths of his despair, the perfect foil to Costigan’s optimism.

But this is not just a two-hander: there are notable performances from Gbolohan Obisesan as slaver driver Pozzo and Michael Hodgson as the unlucky Lucky. Obisesan enters the stage with Lucky on a leash looking like a cross between a warlord and a rapper and delivers what can only be described as masterful portrayal of this enigmatic character. It is Hodgson, however, who deserves – and gets – most credit as the put-upon Lucky. He is bloodied from rope round his neck and infected with pus but retains a vital spark of humanity. When he is told by Pozzo to ‘think, pig’, Hodgson had the audience spellbound with his difficult monologue and was rewarded with a just round of applause.

The play is a treatise on the human condition and the monotony of life – ‘habit is a great deadener’, Valdimir reminds us – but what it shows most clearly is that out of boredom and waiting comes humour (it’s easy sometimes to forget how funny the play is), friendship, and entertaining diversions.  While waiting on the road we never quite know who may turn up, even if it’s not the person we’ve been waiting for all along. Having miserably failed to hang themselves, Kelly and Costigan stand motionless in indecision unsure whether to stay or go, an apt metaphor for the human condition.

A must-see show.

Waiting for Godot is at The Octagon Theatre, Bolton from 15 April to 2 May 2026.

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Noel Coward pours a lot into his dramatic soup and right from the start the ingredients are on display for a feast of drama: unrequited love, settling for second best in a relationship, choosing domesticity over passion, and just what is the correct attitude to adopt towards life. If the play feels dated, it can still be held up to the light through such universal themes.

With sharp direction by Blanche McIntyre and a set which continuously revolves – sometimes faster, sometimes slower – to give a distorting sense of time passing, the play reminds us that if we seek happiness in desire we will ultimately be disappointed. Jill Halfpenny (Waterloo Road, EastEnders) gives us an Amanda fatally attracted by past love Elyot and hoping that second time round they can recreate the passion which first brought them together, even at the cost of abandoning their respective partners. Halfpenny turns in a fiery performance as a woman determined to make her own choices, wrong or otherwise. When she launches herself at the beastly Elyot it is a moment of unalloyed drama.

But it is Steve John Shepherd – complete with bolt-on hairpiece – who steals the show with his louche portrayal of Elyot, all James Mason drawl and whispering cigarette smoke. He is maddening and is meant to be. His advice is to laugh at life and hope it doesn’t laugh back in your face – down with the moralists and up with irony because the alternative is too awful to contemplate. Elyot appears effete on the surface but Shepherd shows him to be full of bubbling molten lava inside, ready to explode at any minute. Quite a brilliant performance.

It all makes it very difficult for spurned spouses Shazia Nicholls as Sybil and Daniel Millar as Victor to make their mark. The final scene in which they confront Elyot and Amanda – and in turn vent their deflected spleen on each other – feels histrionic if necessary.  This is due more to the clockwork plotting of Coward than to any actorly deficiency. When Elyot labels Victor a ‘gasbag’ it’s hard to disagree, but Millar lends him the right amount of wounded decency we can all empathise with. Nicholls pits her youth and naivety against the others’ jaded immorality and in doing so reveals Sibyl to be not simply a victim of infidelity but someone who can see it for what it is, human weakness.

Some of the attitudes in the play are antediluvian and come with a warning but there is no denying the power of this production. The one liners come fast and furious and Shepherd is fantastic as Elyot at delivering non-sequiturs which leave you wondering about his state of mind. As Coward shows, to live with someone is to relinquish your private life.

Private Lives is at The Royal Exchange Theatre from 27 March to 2 May 2026.

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There’s no simple answer to this, though a quick fix of escapism is a guaranteed, short term antidote. Top Hat is now on stage, in a new adaptation by Matthew White and Howard Jacques. The show’s USP is multi award-winning double threat Kathleen Marshall, a premier league director and choreographer, feted for an acclaimed series of shows on Broadway, and in the West End (her brother is film director Rob Marshall, so it must be in the genes).

I have to admit to being late to this particular party, only discovering Kathleen Marshall’s talents with the Barbican production of ‘Anything Goes‘ a few years back. The latter was a dazzling piece of popular art, quite unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Marshall brings the same eye for glamour and sophistication to Top Hat. If it doesn’t surpass ‘Anything Goes’, it is certainly the equal; impressive enough to convert a musical heretic to the joys of song and dance. 

In New York, wealthy producer Horace Hardwick (James Hume) hires American entertainer Jerry Travers (Phillip Attmore, possessing Zeus like dancing abilities) to headline a new musical show. The action then zips across the Atlantic to London. Jerry stays in Horace’s hotel suite, and his night time dance episodes (described as ‘tapititus’) are irksome enough to wake pretty Dale Tremont (Nicole-Lily Baisden, a pint size package of fizzy energy) in the room below. When she stomps up to Horace’s suite to tell Jerry to keep it down, he falls instantly in love. The next day, Jerry follows Dale around London, croons and charms until she can resist no longer.

This being the 1930’s, she neglects to ask his name – yes, this is the improbable dramatic device on which Top Hat pivots, because Dale now believes Jerry is Horace (who she’s never actually met). Next stop, Venice. Dale knows Horace is married to sassy redhead friend Madge (Emma Williams), who informs Dale that her husband is staying in the same hotel. Misunderstandings quickly pile on top of each other. To say more would spoil the ride.

Attmore and Baisden make a charming lead couple, though are in danger of being upstaged by the sub plot players, Hume and Williams. Hume is a hilarious bundle of bristling neurosis, seemingly afraid of everything – particularly air travel. “I get frightened when I arrive at the airport, and see the word ‘departures.” Act 2’s secret weapon is Williams who crackles with attitude and whip smart put downs. Hume and Williams have such chemistry, it would be great to see these performers return in a spin off.  

I still recall versatile James Clyde from a run of mid 90’s appearances at the Royal Exchange; he deserves a mention for his droll turn as Horace’s jaded valet, Bates. Likewise understudy Zak Edwards, who brings a controlled, toreador energy to the role of flamboyant dress maker, Alberto Beddini.

The mark of a gifted designer is when their work stays in the mind, rather than fading after the curtain. Peter McKintosh’s sumptuous set is a giant art deco clock; at various points, the face spins open to reveal different rooms and suites. Alongside Yvonne Milnes, McKintosh has also created the fabulous costumes. Every member of the company is immaculately attired. Top Hat exists in a rarefied atmosphere of covetous excellence (I’m almost tempted to break into the theatre at night, and steal a souvenir – perhaps Jerry’s duck egg blue suit).

Alongside Cole Porter, Irving Berlin was the prime mover of the great American songbook. His best known tunes might be ‘White Christmas’ and ‘No Business Like Showbusiness’ but those featured in Top Hat are easily the most melodic: ‘Cheek to Cheek’, ‘Putting on the Ritz’, ‘Let’s Face the Music and Dance’ are ear worms that take up permanent residence. The undoubted highpoint of Marshall’s production is ‘Top Hat, White Tie and Tails.’ This is a dance team operating as a hive mind, a series of jaw dropping sequences which include intimate groupings, spiral stage crossing, and dancers tossing and catching canes across parallel lines. How is this sort of thing even possible? A scene like this belongs in a choreographer’s textbook; a blueprint for what the art form can achieve.    

Top Hat is as bracing as a glass of chilled champagne in a cryogenic ice bath. But you will have to hurry: this Chichester Festival production is at the end of its tour (Southampton Mayflower follows this Lowry run).   

Top Hat is at Lowry, Salford from 2 to 4 April 2026.

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Having taught herself to read as an infant, Matilda (Madison Davis) is leagues apart from the rest of her television-obsessed family. Mr Wormwood (Adam Stafford) is an engine-stuffing, motor meddling, Vinny Gambino-esque secondhand car dealer, and his wife Mrs Wormwood (Rebecca Thornhill) is just as eyebrow raising, if you don’t buy that she really is ‘just practising’ with her World Amateur Flamenco Competition partner Rudolpho (Ryan Lay) in the living room. Matilda’s brother Michael (Samuel Leon) is the supposed brains of the family – yes, he’s apparently got one. Somewhere.  

Life for Matilda goes impossibly further south after her parents enrol her in her new primary school, Crunchem Hall. A concrete jungle ruled over by an ex-Olympic hammer throwing champion, Agatha Trunchbull’s (Richard Hurst) reign of terror is defined by her motto BAMBINATUM EST MAGGITUM: children are maggots. Her hatred of children puts her at odds with reception teacher Miss Honey (Tessa Kadler), a woman forever trembling with her own self-doubt, whose insecurity belies a deep fascination with her strange new student. Miss Honey and Matilda have a lot to learn from each other – they may also have far more in common than they realise.  

‘Matilda: The Musical’ is indescribably brilliant. At just shy of two-and-a-half hours long, this performance would be a mean feat for any seasoned actor – let alone a cast dominated by children under 12, who share roles between shows. Sharp, assured, and yet deeply, shyly vulnerable, Madison Davis as this particular Matilda is everything every child imagines when growing up reading the original book. Bruce Bogtrotter (Brodie Robson) is a standout act for his lead in ‘Revolting Children’, and Sana Lennon as Lavender is a delight to watch skittering across the stage – an especially incredible debut for the only cast member without any formal theatre training.  

Miss Trunchbull is cocky, cruel, and hilariously, brilliantly camp from beginning to end, and Miss Honey quietly sneaks the audience’s hearts as she is forced to confront her own demons. Esther Niles as Mrs Phelps plays a much bigger role than in the original story, and is for a long time Matilda’s only support – a heartwarming watch, and comforting anchor in a story so chaotic from scene to scene.  

‘Matilda: The Musical’ makes interesting strays from the original book’s story, perhaps explained by Dennis Kelly’s screenwriting background in gritty dramas and surreal comedy. The biggest change is the decision to cut back on Matilda’s telekinetic powers, which she originally develops as a toddler because her brain is so large, it pushes the extra energy out of her eyes. Instead, much of the play is driven by Matilda’s dogged sense of justice, and her frustration at the state of her life – “Nobody but me is going to change my story,” after all. For a change so drastic, it is a shift that only sharpens the show’s edge: this is a Matilda that is entirely self-driven, and far more relatable than her aloof, superpowered inspiration. To see this tiny girl abused is a vastly more disturbing watch.  

However, with so much of the plot hinging on Matilda’s telekinesis, powers eventually do play a role in the second act – I only wish they had been introduced slightly earlier than the infamous newt scene. Shockingly for a performance already eclipsing the average theatre runtime, the show could benefit from an extra scene or two to fully flesh out this part of its story. Time may be well spent in the way it introduces characters, settings, and songs, but the introduction of her powers felt slightly out of left field: ‘Oh, so she does have powers in the end – wait, the show’s nearly over!’  

In all, ‘Matilda: The Musical’ is nothing short of out-of-this-world entertainment. This show embellishes an intergenerational classic with a surreal, dreamlike retelling, and is a fantastic showcase of the brilliance of the UK’s youngest theatrical talent. Brilliantly staged, beautifully scored, and with a blindingly talented cast both big and small, if you’re on the fence about tickets, treat yourself – sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty.  

Matilda the Musical is at The Palace Theatre Manchester from 26 March until 25 April 2026 before continuing on tour.

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“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.

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