Commemorating the 25th anniversary of his untimely final curtain, "Morecambe" celebrates the extraordinary life of Eric Morecambe, "Comedian of the Century". From humble beginnings as a child-performer on Morecambe Pier to the glitz and glamour of international stardom and the mantle of "Britain’s best loved comic"; from tumbleweed to Glenda Jackson; it’s a glorious, moving portrait of the affectionate lad with funny bones, born entertainer, big hearted perfectionist... "the tall one with glasses". So come laugh, come cry, and remember the man who had a twinkle in his eye and shared it with us all... the man what brought us sunshine. Featuring the multi-talented Bob Golding, penned by the brilliant Tim Whitnall and directed by solo-maestro Guy Masterson, this is a must see for all fans of classic British comedy.
Bob Golding's one-man tribute show Morecambe - the first biographical play about the man who “brought us sunshine” - opened to critics at the Duchess Theatre last week (See 1st Night Photos, 14 Dec 2009).
The show, which won a Fringe First when it premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe back in August, is written by Tim Whitnall and directed by Guy Masterson. The idea for the piece was born in 1997, when Masterson and Golding were appearing together at the Edinburgh Fringe and Masterson noticed Golding’s “extraordinary likeness” to the much-loved entertainer.
Morecambe famously carried a clipping from a bad review in his wallet, but his imitator Golding will struggle to find one himself. Most critics raved about his “uncanny” impersonation and Whitnall's “cunningly constructed” script, even if some found it heavy on “nostalgia” and lacking in broad appeal. Overall though, with at least two five star raves, Morecambebrought more sunshine than rain.
Michael Coveney on Whatsonstage.com (two stars) - “I loved Eric Morecambe … but Bob Golding’s solo turn doesn’t strike on my box any more than it did on the Edinburgh fringe last summer … But while the impersonation is okay, Golding doesn’t really have the killer finesse of Eric’s movement, nor his aghast, tragic confusion … Guy Masterson’s production … does at least touchingly display the elision of music hall variety with television light entertainment as the boys progress from Moss Empires and Blackpool summer seasons to their prime time kingdom in a golden age … But jokes about Winifred Atwell, Billy Marsh and Lew Grade are only funny to people of a certain age … His show can only be recommended to the faithful who still feel a warm glow at the very mention of Eric’s name ... I hope they don’t come away feeling too short-changed.”
Benedict Nightingale in The Times (five stars) - “You can’t imagine Eric Morecambe leaving lubricious messages on an elderly actor’s answering machine, or sharing dubiously funny details of his depression … He lived at a less abrasive time and showed it ... Isn’t a one-man show about a personally happy, if professionally driven, comedian bound to seem bland … in the Britain of 2009? Not to me or to the audience that gave Golding a standing ovation on opening night … You would call Golding’s impersonation uncanny if they were not so cannily observed. He catches the gleeful somersaults of that North Country voice, the big grin under the school-swot glasses … but above all a delighted pride in the sheer sound of the laughter that he had managed to generate … Whitnall’s neatly honed script takes us from their meeting as teenagers … to the last of Morecambe’s heart attacks in 1984 … Golding also gives us plenty of nicely timed jokes … hilarious.”
Henry Hitchings in the Evening Standard (four stars) - “At a time when it’s considered newsworthy that The X Factor draws 15 million viewers, it’s worth remembering that back in 1977 the Morecambe and Wise Christmas special pulled in 28 million. The duo were a national institution and Tim Whitnall’s play … is a tribute to the more complicated of the two … The key to the show’s success is Bob Golding’s performance as Morecambe … What could easily be a collection of mannerisms is instead an affectionate portrait. Guy Masterson directs with a nice sense of pace … Given its mix of sentimentality and manic energy, the show will not be to everyone’s taste … But it is very funny and Eric Morecambe’s fans will surely find it irresistible .”
Charles Spencer in the Daily Telegraph (five stars) - “I have rarely experienced a warmer, funnier or more touching one-man show. There isn't a moment of malice in it, not a second of boredom. In a tour-de-force performance that never seems flashy or self-advertising, Bob Golding somehow becomes the reincarnation of the most universally loved of British comedians … Much of the show's pleasure depends on its comforting familiarity – the paper bag trick and the false-leg gag, the catchphrases and the one-liners – but what makes it such a winner is its generous heart. Golding clearly loves his subject and it is a feeling shared by the entire house. This is a show that will bring sunshine into the lives of all who see it.”
Lyn Gardner in The Guardian (three stars) - “You would have to have a heart of stone not to warm to this genial and artless one-man show, a trip down memory lane and into the life and times of one half of the double act, Morecambe and Wise, who for more than 40 years brought a little sunshine into our damp, grey lives … Their popularity is conveyed in Tim Whitnall's cunningly constructed script, which seamlessly mixes biography and gags, and Bob Golding's winning performance. You feel that he might not be acting but actually channelling Morecambe … There is something almost joyful about the evening that honours Morecambe without embalming him. This is probably a niche show for a niche audience, and at almost two hours, it feels over-stretched … But this is neatly packaged nostalgia providing the kind of family entertainment that Morecambe and Wise purveyed.”
I loved Eric Morecambe as much as the next man - who didn’t? - but Bob Golding’s solo turn doesn’t strike on my box any more than it did on the Edinburgh fringe last summer.
I was hoping for an improvement on his part, or in Tim Whitnall’s sloppy, sentimental script, or indeed in my own receptive antennae. But while the impersonation is okay, Golding doesn’t really have the killer finesse of Eric’s movement, nor his aghast, tragic confusion.
It seems incredible to think that he died of his third heart attack - and we get all three laboriously enacted - 25 years ago aged just 58. 28 million people - half the nation - watched the Morecambe and Wise Christmas special one year. Not even the X-Factor comes close today.
But here’s the point. The genius of the double act, as Kenneth Tynan remarked, was that Ernie was the comic who is not funny and Eric was the straight man who is. That subtle role reversal fed the slow burns, Ernie’s blithe indifference to his own deficiencies, the hilarity of the blank wall.
There was also something strangely physical about their pairing, Ernie brusque and dapper, Eric forming strange gargoyles and arabesques around him. It just doesn’t work with a dummy sitting on the sofa in this show. And it doubly doesn’t work as the “liveness” of Golding’s performance is scuppered by his fitting into the recorded soundtrack of laughter and musical accompaniment. An Ernie pianist could have been a gas.
Guy Masterson’s production - elongated with a pointless interval - does at least touchingly display the elision of music hall variety with television light entertainment as the boys progress from Moss Empires and Blackpool summer seasons to their prime time kingdom in a golden age compared to what we get now.
But jokes about Winifred Atwell, Billy Marsh and Lew Grade are only funny to people of a certain age, or to Lionel Blair and Michael Grade, who sat in the stalls (though not together) at the first night. And who now remembers Nobby Stiles and his teeth? (I do, but that’s not the point.)
It’s a plodding narrative, bashed over by Golding with the fervour of one who thinks we need convincing. His show can only be recommended to the faithful who still feel a warm glow at the very mention of Eric’s name. Admittedly, that could be a large crowd at this time of year. I hope they don’t come away feeling too short-changed.
Seen at Basildon Towngate Theatre: 25.2.10
It's difficult to explain to people just how deeply loved Morecambe & Wise were and it's also very difficult to explain why they were so funny; their routines do not translate very easily. Put simply Eric was a comic genius and Ernie was the perfect foil. Bob Golding is not a comic genius nor does he look or sound much like Eric and so wisely chooses not to attempt a detailed impersonation or a replica of the act. Instead this is a deeply affectionate biography. There is probably too much time spent on the days in variety halls when most people remember them from the wonderful BBC shows but the second half in particular is a joy although tinged with sadness as Eric's three heart attacks are depicted. Ernie's contribution is beautifully credited: he is represented by a ventriloquist's dummy and there is a moment of unbearable tenderness as Golding puts the dummy away for the last time signally the end of the greatest double act this country has ever produced. I remember the day Eric's death was announced on the radio as one of the saddest of my life at that time and Bob Golding deserves enormous credit for generating such wonderful memories. - David Baxter
26 Feb 10
For me it took a while to warm up, but when it did, it accelerated and got very hot! Brilliant performance, with a well desrved standing ovation at the end. - Alan Bartlett
18 Jan 10
Tremendous work from everyone involved in this warm hearted account of a well lived life.
The script packs in every possible joke and Golding throws in all the visual references; even someone who'd never heard of Eric could enjoy this show although it is very British.
Laugh a minute but difficult not to shed a tear at the end, ARSENAL! - Andy Bell
30 Dec 09
An outstanding show. I am shocked by Mr Coveney's review and concur with a previous reviewer who questions exactly why he went back to see it again. Bob Golding has captured Eric Morecambe in a way no other impersonator has ever done, in my opinion, and this show is clearly the culmination of a great deal of work on his part. I thought that the portrayal of Ernie Wise as a ventriloquist's dummy was a very clever bit of staging and much better than having an actor play the role in what is a superb one-man show. How he remembers all that script is beyond me! GO AND SEE THIS SHOW! It is wonderful and well-deserving of the standing ovation that Bob Golding received at the end. - Ruth King
15 Dec 09
I loved this show when it was on tour pre-West End. I think that Michael Coveney's review is totally wrong. This was a brilliant performance, very moving and informative. It made me want to read Eric Morecambe's biography. - Teresa Webb
15 Dec 09
I am absolutely astonished at Michael Coveney's review. This is a funny, touching and deeply affectionate homage stunningly portrayed by Bob Golding. On the night I went it captivated the entire audience. Mr Coveney's transformation into into the Nicholas de Jongh for the next decade is complete. IGNORE THIS MAN AND GO !!!!! - Gareth James
14 Dec 09
WHY, when has has already dismissed the show in once ind Edinburgh - being the sole dissenting voice in over 50 reviews - did he come back and see it again for another publication? Once can only speculate that trotting out the same bad review for another paycheck was the motivation. One would hope for an improvement on the same sloppily written tosh he spewed up there, but sadly there was none.
I too saw the show in Edinburgh and was excited to see it again down here as I heard that many things had been added - including a sparkly new West End set (which was beautiful by the way) and two full E&E songs (which were great to hear Bob Golding do justice to). So, what confuses me about the above critique is how can my (and it seems everyone elses) can be so different? Certainly one could have a differing view of how the play could work, but whichever way you look at it, that is NOT a two star show! Even if he did not like the writing, the performance and direction are outstanding and. judging by the audience reaction in the room, Bob Golding gave them a fantastic night of entertainment and reignited some fabulous memories.
Mr Coveney might just be a little tired and he probably hopes that being the sole dissenter in a sea of positivity might give him his edge back.
NOT... - Ed Reviewer
12 Dec 09
This is a wonderful piece of theatre, brilliantly performed by Bob Golding. I can't recommend it highly enough;terrific script too. Anyone who enjoys skill will be captivated as I was. - Miriam Margolyes
12 Dec 09
how did Michael Coveney get a job as a critic? as a funny man once said ''there's no answer to that''. - Alistair Caven
11 Dec 09
Not entirely sure what planet Michael Coveney is on, as I thought 'Morecambe' was sensational. It sounds like a reviewer who had made up his mind before he went in, probably having already written his copy. No-one with any real appreciation of good theatre will feel "Short changed" and I urge anyone to go see this production, as Mr Coveney's review is complete nonsense. I will look out for future bad reviews from this man and make sure I see the production. - Frank Spackman
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