In an age before Netflix their Christmas specials drew in audiences of 28m. And on their move to ITV the comedy duo even had their own TV jingle: ‘Here they are now, Morecambe and Wise‘

More than 30 years on, TV has changed but the love people have for Morecambe and Wise clearly hasn’t. A blanket of warm nostalgia covers the audience when Jonty Stephens and Ian Ashpitel take to the stage as what is still considered to be Britain’s greatest comedy double act of all time.

The pair look like their idols, they have the voices and mannerisms we all recognise, but can they make us laugh like Morecambe and Wise did? Even with the material at hand these are big shoes to fill.

While it’s clear the original duo had built-up the anticipation for the show, it is Jonty and Ian’s carefully observed sketches and affection for their comedy heroes that runs with this energy and keeps it high.

Olivier-nominated for their play Eric and Little Ern, Jonty and Ian won support from the late Eddie Braben, sketch writer for Morecambe and Wise from the 60s to the 80s. Before he died Braben gave permission for Jonty and Ian to perform many of Morecambe and Wise’s most popular TV sketches as well as some of their lesser known stage sketches, recreated for this show. The pair also get the seal of approval from Eric Morecambe’s son, Gary, who has curated The Story of Morecambe and Wise for the show’s programme.

As well as their comedy, Morecambe and Wise were known for their enduring friendship, that made for a remarkable stage chemistry. Jonty and Ian, pals from drama school days, also have a warm stage chemistry that radiates respect for each other as well as the act to which they are paying homage.

The show recreates what it might have been like to see Morecambe and Wise live on stage. There is the famous red curtain, a piano, a Christmas tree and an old-school telephone that carries on ringing when it’s been picked up. Perhaps if the famous duo were to take their show on the road now, we’d get sets creating the famous TV bed or kitchen sketches. But this minimal setting feels truer to the time.

There are a couple of moments when in our politically correct era I feel myself tense as to what might be coming next, only to relax on realising there is nothing remotely offensive about any of this material. It’s filled with practical jokes, like the paper-bag trick and innocent humour such as: ‘Don’t have the fisherman’s pie.’

‘Why not?’

‘He gets very upset.’

What makes the comedy so timeless is that it doesn’t have political references. And where there are references to well-known names of the time, such as Angela Rippon, Des O’Connor and Marjorie Proops, it sends a wave of nostalgia over the audience who knew them and doesn’t lose much for those too young to remember.

There are a couple of the duo’s famous sketches, such as the ice-cream van and Grieg’s concerto, where the audience is finishing the gag with them. But from the rapturous reception it’s clear knowing the punchline doesn’t spoil any of the enjoyment.

In singer, Rebecca Neale the show has its own special musical guest, a once staple part of the Morecambe and Wise show. Rebecca has a terrific voice as well as providing a brilliant foil to the comedy capers behind her. And it is the music which leaves us on a high. The audience can’t resist singing along to Bring Me Sunshine and inviting them to join in is like sprinkling happy potion from above.

By the end I feel like I am watching Morecambe and Wise again and it’s a mix of emotions. Younger people in the audience, who never knew the original act, are laughing and singing along too. It’s the kind of feeling you want to wrap up and keep, and for lifting spirits at Christmas, it’s a gift of a show.

An Evening of Eric & Ern is at The Lowry, Salford Quays from 18 December 2018 – 6 January 2019. See website for full tour details.

Read our interview with Jonty Stephens who plays Eric Morecambe.

The post An Evening of Eric & Ern at The Lowry, Theatre Review appeared first on Quays Life.

Anyone who watched TV in the 1970s and early 80s will no doubt remember the familiar jingle: ‘Here they are now, Morecambe and Wise’. In an era before TV on demand, whole families would gather to watch their comedy sketch show. And during the 1970s, The Morecambe and Wise Christmas specials drew in audience numbers today’s TV programmers can only dream of, with viewing figures as high as 28 million. Those born later may still be familiar with their comedy through numerous repeats, because almost 35 years after the comedy duo last performed together, the late Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise are still considered by many to be Britain’s greatest comedy double act.

It is a tough mantle for anyone to take on, but this Christmas at The Lowry, Jonty Stephens and Ian Aspitel invite us to re-live some of Morecambe and Wise’s best comedy moments in An Evening of Eric and Ern at Christmas.

“We were very nervous to begin with, taking on the might of Morecambe and Wise,” Jonty admits. “Eric is my hero and it is a wonderful thrill for me to be allowed to portray him. Sometimes people say tribute, it’s more than that – we like the word homage because it’s a celebration of their work. It’s not a quick five minutes of me going, ‘Waahay,’ and wiggling my glasses, or Ian flashing his hairy legs – it’s more than that”.

Rave reviews and an Olivier Award nomination for the duo’s 2013 play, Eric and Little Ern attest that their act is much more than impersonation. But perhaps the biggest recommendation comes from Eric Morecambe’s family and the late, Eddie Braben who wrote sketches for Morecambe and Wise from the 60s to the 80s, who gave permission for Jonty and Ian to perform many of Morecambe and Wise’s most popular TV sketches as well as some of their lesser known stage sketches.

“When we first launched the play at Edinburgh Fringe Festival we got a message to say Gary Morecambe was coming to see the show,” says Jonty. “We were like ‘oh my goodness it’s Eric son!’, and at the same time we were nervous because we talk all about their relationship and everything in the play.

“Gary met us after the show and just as we were going up to meet him two girls in their 20s came up and said, ‘Can we just say that’s the best show we’ve seen at Edinburgh this year – it’s absolutely brilliant we can’t believe it, it’s hilarious it’s so good’. As they walked off Gary said, ‘Did you pay them to say that?’

“Since then we’ve built up a relationship with the family and now they are involved. We run everything by them basically – all the material we use – they give us their approval and they’ve been so supportive to us”.

The play, Eric and Little Ern was about the lives of Morecambe and Wise, who first met in 1939 aged 13, at theatre impresario, Jack Hylton’s variety show. Two years later in 1941 the pair first performed on stage together at the Liverpool Empire, and their partnership lasted more than 40 years, ending only when in 1984 Eric Morecambe had a massive heart attack on stage and died, aged 58. Ernie Wise died in 1999 aged 73.

Their genuine friendship has been part of the act’s enduring appeal, and Jonty says he hopes his own long-standing friendship with Ian, who he met while they were both at Birmingham School of Speech and Drama, has captured some of the natural warmth of Morecambe and Wise.

“Ian and I have known each other for 30 years. We are literally best mates and I think that’s the secret to it really,” he says, “If there’s a certain magic dust that’s sprinkled over it, it’s our absolute trust in each other and close bond, which Eric and Ern had – you can’t fake that. You could just cast a couple of actors and put them together but I think you would see through that and hopefully what helps us in the portrayal of Eric and Ern is our bond and our friendship because we’re having such a wonderful time doing it, it’s amazing”.

Their new show is a collection of songs and sketches, recreating what it might have been like to watch the popular comedy duo on stage. And, just like the old Morecambe and Wise shows there is a musical guest – singer, Becky Neale.

Before writing their original play Jonty and Ian spent a long time researching their comedy heroes, speaking to people who knew and worked with them both on and off-stage.

“What came out strongly was how loved Eric and Ern were by everybody. There is nothing that’s come out about them in the intervening years to say otherwise – they were genuinely loved,” says Jonty, “They also never took their fame for granted and were always appreciative of their audiences. They were working class men who never lost sight of their roots and always had time for people. Hopefully, when we do the show we’re more than happy afterwards to meet people and have a chat, and I think it’s the right way to be.”

The new show grew out of the second act of the play, with Eric and Ern in front of the curtains, and comes from watching hours and hours of Morecambe and Wise footage. “We’ve included some of the well-known sketches which people will love and recognise, but also there are some maybe not so well-known ones in there, and also some new material we’ve written in the style of Eric and Ern,” Jonty explains.

Another reason for the duo’s timeless appeal is their avoidance of topical sketches, and it is an escape Jonty hopes will appeal to audiences today too. “There’s no Brexit and there’s no Donald Trump,” he laughs “It’s just unmitigated fun and laughter throughout. It’s funny, it’s clean, and like Eric and Ern can be enjoyed by all the family.

“We were never without Eric and Ern at Christmas and hopefully we’ll bring a bit of that to the Lowry.”

An Evening of Eric and Ern is at The Lowry , Salford Quays from 6-12 December 2021. See website for full tour details.

Watch Jonty and Ian as Eric and Ern on The One Show:

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