Still bringing sunshine and laughter (From This Is Wiltshire)

Still bringing sunshine and laughter

10:12am Wednesday 27th January 2010 in

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Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise brought laughter and sunshine into the lives of countless fans, and won enviable status on the British entertainment scene, as kings of comedy.

This week at Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre, the story of their hugely successful partnership is told in Morecambe, a one man show starring Bob Golding as Eric Morecambe. The play, by Tim Whitnall, directed by Guy Masterson, is currently on tour, and today, Wednesday, 27 January, is your last chance to see it at the Wyvern in Swindon, where it has won a warm response from audiences this week.

Bob Golding’s excellent performance is enhanced by his interaction with a ventriloquist’s dummy in the guise of Ernie Wise.

The play charts the highs and lows of a remarkable career. Who now remembers that Morecambe and Wise’s first venture into television was a flop?

Similarly, their brief foray into American TV, struck no chord with transatlantic viewers - and the presenter even mispronounced Eric’s surname.

In contrast, at the climax of their success in Britain, over 28 million viewers tuned in to the Morecambe & Wise Christmas Special, and their classic humour ensured that they are still regarded fondly as national treasures.

The audience is offered revealing glimpses into Morecambe’s early life in the seaside town whose name he adopted professionally, his parents George and Sadie Bartholomew, his happy marriage to Joan, their family life and children, and the succession of heart attacks which eventually ended his life at 58.

In a spectacular finale, amid swirling silver confetti, Morecambe, in white tie, topper and tails, comments on the emergency siren of an approaching ambulance: “He won’t sell many icecreams going at that speed!”

If you are one of Morecambe & Wise’s many admirers, do see this show before it moves on!

The Wyvern box office phone number is (01793) 524481.