Critically acclaimed and Olivier Award-nominated for their uncanny portrayal of the legendary comedy duo, Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, Ian Ashpitel & Jonty Stephens as Eric & Ern is touring the UK from Tuesday 5 October, 2021.
A festive version of the show, Ian Ashpitel & Jonty Stephens as Eric & Ern at Christmas, will play Plymouth Theatre Royal on 27 November and a week-long season at The Lowry in Salford, 6 – 12 December.
Crammed full of renditions of those famous comedy sketches, and coupled with contemporary
references in their unique style, the show evokes memories of times when whole families would
huddle around the telly on Sunday evenings to share in the much-loved antics of Britain’s national treasures.
As seen on BBC One’s ‘The One Show’ and ITV1’s ‘The Alan Titchmarsh Show’, the performances contain some of the first new writing in the style of Morecambe & Wise material in over 30 years.
Ian Ashpitel and Jonty Stephens have been performing and writing as Eric and Ern for more than five years. The research into their subjects is there for all to see in their staggeringly accurate portrayal of the most successful and much loved British comedy duo of all time. The performers themselves have a wonderful relationship with the families and estates of Morecambe & Wise – with all scripts given the families’ seal of approval before being performed.
“I have been fascinated with Eric Morecambe for as long as I can remember,” says Jonty. “I took on his persona at school and it never really left me. He was the funniest and loveliest of men. We both feel it’s a privilege to play Eric and Ernie and some people have said it’s like we’re channelling them – some nights it does feel like that.”
Ian said: “We do treasure the relationship we have with each other – as did Eric and Ernie – and I think it’s obvious that we love performing the comedy of Morecambe and Wise.”
