Originally published by L.S. Media. March 8th 2010.

Cast: Bob Goulding.

It takes a brave actor to take on the mantle of one of Britain’s best loved comedians on stage. It takes a man with nerves of steel to do the whole show on his own for a mind boggling 80 odd minutes and who won’t be sure of how the audience will react to the telling of his life until the final curtain.

The life of Eric Morecambe has been transformed by writer Tim Whitnall, from the screen where millions watched with delight to the Liverpool Playhouse in this wonderful one man show with the superb Bob Golding. All the elements that made up the man’s life in comedy were played out with great affection and a wonderful sense of comic timing.

From the early years when he met his great friend and comic partner Ernie Wise, through to their days on stage together, their many ups and heart breaking lows in the form of their first television experience and the many heart attacks that the comic initially survived but that ultimately would kill him.

The part of Ernie wise was incredibly done by a small wooden ventriloquist’s doll and the many characters that played their part in the life of these two men, including the late Lew Grade, Bruce Forsyth and Liverpool legend Eddie Braben were lovingly portrayed by Bob, who somehow managed to change his character so quickly that you were not able to see the join.

There was even several nods to classic sketches and one liners throughout the show, including the wonderful Breakfast Stripper, the bouncing ball in bag gag, Andre Previn’s piano recital and supremely as the sound of the ambulance siren was heard across the auditorium showing Eric’s final heart attack, Bob recited the immortal line “He won’t sell many ice creams going at that speed”.

For a brief moment, we had the man back amongst us once more, joking with the audience, playing around on stage looking for the love and laughter that had never been missing. Then just as quickly it was gone, the audience who had laughed generously, shed tears of joy uncontrollably and winced at the memories of the ill health the man suffered at the hands of his need to entertain and make people laugh.

The measure of any play is how the audience reacts at the curtain call, on this occasion the crowd rose as one and gave one of the loudest, spontaneous standing ovations that the patrons of the Playhouse have witnessed in many years.

An absolute triumph, miss this at your peril.

Ian D. Hall