THEATRE REVIEW: Eric And Ern At Christmas - The Lowry Theatre, Salford.

Ian Ashpitel and Jonty Stephens - oops, sorry, I meant Eric Morecombe and Ernie Wise - are back! 

Who remembers sitting down over the Christmas period with the whole family, in front of the only TV in the house, a black and white set with only 3 channels and no remote, in your living room, and falling about in laughter at one of the greatest double-acts this country has ever produced? Well, if you do, then you are in for a real treat my friends. Ashpitel and Stephens have spent years honing their astounding and seemingly innate ability at recreating that magic on stage. Make no mistake, they are not simply Morecambe and Wise impersonators... they simply ARE Morecombe and Wise! 

I remember their last tour - pre-pandemic - and watched them in wonderment as they had created their own material to present a totally new show of Morecombe And Wise humour and style. It was clever, very clever indeed. However, this time, they have gone one step further. With permission from the estate of the comedy legends, they have now incorporated, either in slightly adapted versions or as originally performed - some of their more iconic sketches. Among the gold dust are such favourites as 'Shakespeare's Hamlet', The Bedroom Sketch (the one where the ambulance is heard outside the window), the Ventriloquist Sketch, and of course, Grieg's Piano Concerto - sadly (but rather obviously) withour Mr Andrew Preview (sorry Andre Previn!).

Songs a-plenty, perfectly crafted and faithful comedy routines, and the on-stage chemistry Ashpitel and Stephens share is obviously as close as the real M+W. A veritable trip down Memory Lane for many of the audience, and it was obvious simply by watching their reactions to the show just what that meant to the older end of tonight's audience. Younger audience members reacted differently, and there were even a few children in the audience this evening. They laughed at the physicality and silliness, but everything else, quite obviously went over their heads. 

So don't 'Send In The Clowns' - we need Mr. Memory and Positive Thinking, and more than anything else in this chaotic and troubled world of ours, we need sunshine.. please don't stop Bring(ing) Me Sunshine!

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 6.12.21