ERIC & ERN | STAGE REVIEW
New Theatre, Cardiff, Wed 14 May
“Bring me sunshine, bring me laughter…” – the catchphrase of one of the most popular comedy duos on the BBC. The Morecambe & Wise Show poster boys were, alongside Les Dawson, Bernie Winters and Bruce Forsyth, the 70s and 80s stalwarts of weekend entertainment. Sat begrudgingly with your parents to watch Sunday Night At The London Palladium and the like was a repeated pastime for teenagers across the country. The duo hit 10 million viewers at the height of their fame, and were in the upper echelons of the BFI’s list of top 100 greatest British television programmes in 2000. So, not a lot to live up to then!
Eric & Ern has been brought to the masses by the Olivier-nominated Ian Ashpitel and Jonty Stephens, who play Morecambe and Wise respectively, their mannerisms and physicality incredibly close to the original pair. Ian and Jonty met at drama school, subsequently becoming firm friends over golf, and eventually the duo evolved to becoming a fully-fledged show and homage. The show itself squeezes in all the favourite one-liners and sketches, as well as bringing a local singer onstage to take part and be humiliated in a number of comedic music numbers. Send In The Clowns was performed by Stephanie Webber, who delivered her lines effortlessly, while the duo pranked about in the background dressed as clowns, with the inevitable balloon animal-making stint going haywire. The André Previn classic was delivered with perfect comic timing, the audience waiting for the timeless “all the wrong notes!” payoff.
Plenty of laughs throughout the show, of course, while the one-off gags scattered throughout kept the audience chuckling for the two-hour duration, which zipped along nicely. Good clean fun, a titter and guffaw throughout: a genuinely realistic portrayal of the much-loved comedy pairing.
words ANTONIA LEVAY