Morecombe & Wise are without doubt a British institution, with their Christmas specials drawing in over 20 million viewers in their day; delivering shows packed with laughter and jokes a plenty. To write a stage production on them must be a daunting task, but one which writers; Hamish McColl, Sean Foley and Eddie Braben have excelled at in this new play; The Play What I Wrote.
With a cast of just three (well actually four but we’ll get to that), this isn’t a biographical piece about the famous duo, far from it. This is original, but yet still just as dynamic and very very funny!
The story follows two performers; Dennis played by Dennis Herdman & Thom played by Thom Tuck. Dennis wants to do a play about the famous duo for the potential money, whilst Thom aspires to write serious theatre; a classical piece about the French Revolution called ‘A Tight Squeeze for the Scarlet Pimple’.
Both Herdman & Tuck are fabulous, with a chemistry on stage which could only be topped by the original Morecambe & Wise themselves, they have a real energy on stage, and it makes you want to be part of it. Mitesh Soni completes the main cast as ‘Arthur’ who arrives on stage in a number of humorous disguises and personas to try and hoodwink the pair throughout. All three actors are extremely gifted at physical comedy and know their craft.
The first half of the show see the double act land a gig as a Morecambe and Wise double act; the second half is how that gig plays out; The result is pure comedy gold.
Directed by Sean Foley; this production is the definition of an entertaining night at the theatre, the show has an abundance of silliness and features a vast array of wordplay, sight gags and slapstick, it’s clever and extremely well timed and delivered.
One of the highlights of this production is that each performance features a different mystery guest star, a famous face which is thrown into the thick of it and becomes the source of the jokes and material in the second half of the show’s script. To see Sir Charles Dance in this setting was just the cherry on top of the proverbial cake for me!
An outstanding play which features everything that audiences crave right now, sunshine, humour and pure joy!
Verdict: The funniest play I’ve ever seen!
The Play What I Wrote continues at The Lowry until 5th February https://thelowry.com/whats-on/the-play-what-i-wrote/
Reviewer: Max Eden
Reviewed: 31st January 2022
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★★