York Theatre Royal – Tuesday 1st February 2022
Reviewed by Michelle Richardson
4****
Eric & Ern is a tribute to the late, great duo Morecambe and Wise. I have fond memories of watching them on television with my family when I was a child, so I leapt at the chance to review this show, to see if it did them justice. I should imagine that the majority of the audience were like me, grew up on the old variety shows that are unfortunately lacking on our screens today.
Ian Ashpitel and Jonty Stephens bring the two to life as “Little Ern” and Eric. They both have an uncanny resemblance, at least at a distance, and the mannerisms certainly hit the right note. Stephens really does encapsulate Eric to a tee, with his gestures, facial expressions, and physicality. In true Morecambe and Wise tradition, we are treated to various well-known sketches and routines that resonate with so many of the audience. The perfect example of this is the siren/ice cream joke, which had the audience shouting out the punchline and Stephens replying, “It’s almost as if they knew what was coming”.
Of course, we couldn’t have a Morecambe and Wise show with the guest entertainer. Vocalist Sinéad Wall gives a brilliant performance whilst singing Send in the Clowns, hilarious to watch with clowns and balloons involved. How she kept a straight face I do not know.
The show has slapstick, jokes, songs and dancing, some admittedly worked better than overs, but it had the whole package. We were all laughing, some did not stop. It takes you back to a more innocent time, the jokes may be a bit risqué, but they do not offend. I miss the good old days of variety acts hitting our screens.
Ashpitel and Stephens have great chemistry together, and on reading the programme you can understand why, they have been best friends for years, Ian was even best man at Jonty’s wedding. They are a perfect match to play this iconic duo, no one could do it better.
It is fitting that “Bring me Sunshine” was the finale. It had us all clapping and singing along and left us all on a high. This is a fabulous nostalgic show, perfect for the whole family, that is more than a simple tribute act. At times you really do feel that you are watching the real deal.