This affectionate tribute to Britain’s best-loved TV double act Morecambe and Wise was a hit on this year’s Edinburgh fringe — effective as a nostalgia trip, though perhaps unlikely to wow a new generation of comedy fans.
It opens with the spirit of the dead Eric Morecambe rousing his old partner Ernie Wise from his sick bed.
Together they embark on a voyage into their past and eventually we move from the sterile confines of Ern’s hospital room to a set complete with the duo’s signature backdrop of a plush red curtain.
There’s good-natured bickering and reminiscence — brightened by familiar Morecambe and Wise jokes from the original TV scripts by Eddie Braben, Dick Hills and Sid Green.
The performances are appealing. Jonty Stephens is a convincing Eric, switching from smiles of welcome to crafty glances of collusion. Ian Ashpitel convinces a bit less as Ernie but certainly has the right air of injured pride as he endures Eric’s mockery.
The chemistry between them is strong. And as in real life, what looks like the pair’s headlong spontaneity is in fact the product of rigid discipline.
Stephens and Ashpitel are not the first to mine this seam of retro comedy. Bob Golding’s one-man show Morecambe was a success at Edinburgh four years ago and made it into the West End. Before that there was the hugely popular The Play What I Wrote.
Eric and Little Ern shares those shows’ geniality but feels less deftly constructed. It’s a warm-hearted reminder of the men who once commanded 28 million viewers with a Christmas special.
Yet, to paraphrase Morecambe himself, while it serves up all the right notes they’re not necessarily in the right order.
Until January 12 , 0844 482 9675, ericandlittleern.com
