Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until 26th February 2022
Reviewed by Steph Lott
2**
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise have been described as “the most illustrious, and the best-loved, double-act that Britain has ever produced”. They were one of the UK’s all-time favourite comedy acts and certainly as a child I adored their shows. I remember watching them as a family and was looking forward to a nostalgic visit back to that time and hearing the well-worn catch phrases once more that recurred again and again in their shows throughout their careers, and had us laughing again and again.
It’s nearly twenty years since the collaboration between Eric Morecambe’s son, Gary, Hamish McColl and Sean Foley resulted in The Play What I Wrote, directed at that time by Kenneth Branagh.
This show is a celebration of Morecambe and Wise’s comedy, and is this time directed by Sean Foley. It is named after Ernie’s “play wot I wrote”; these were a series of terrible plays, featuring a celebrity guest, which made up the finale to each Morecambe and Wise show.
While the show alludes to Eric and Ernie and a few of their catchphrases slip in, this is most definitely not a tribute act, at least in the first act. The story is about a failing comic double duo, played by Dennis Herdman and Thom Tuck. Thom wants to see his latest play staged and Dennis wants Thom back working with him on their double act. David Pugh, a “leading theatre impresario” wants to pay them £5,000 to do a Morecambe and Wise double act. And Arthur, the stage electrician, played by MItesh Soni, wants to play his harmonica solo, because he promised his mother.
I have to confess that, despite the rave reviews and the thunderous applause from my fellow audience members, I did not enjoy this show. Although it’s clear that everything in this production is done with love for the great men, to me it just didn’t hang together and flow as a show. The choreography from Ian West ensures that the physical comedy is fast-moving and fluid. The jokes fly thick and fast at startling speed; there are gags and slapstick a-plenty. But it just seemed like a stream of jokes one after the other, which were funny in isolation (and indeed I remembered some of them from Eric and Ernie’s shows) but it felt manic and pointless, like nothing was stringing them together. I also found some aspects of the show rather tasteless – a bloke in a dress and simulated sex on a chaise longue – we really can’t do better than that?
The show did pick up for me in the second half though when “the play what Ernie wrote” was actually performed. I found this part much funnier and really enjoyed what was clearly an affectionate homage to the two great comic geniuses. In addition, Sue Holderness of Only Fools and Horses and EastEnders fame took the guest star spot as the hapless actor duped into taking a role in Ernie’s play and she did an excellent job.
At the interval, my godson (who is twenty) and I were overheard discussing the play and trying to make sense of it, by a lady who commented, “This is nothing like their shows. Morecambe and Wise would be turning in their graves!” I’m afraid I have to agree with her.