The Play What I Wrote

Last night we went to see ‘The Play What I Wrote‘ at Woking.

Monica quite enjoyed it, but I left feeling somewhat disappointed. It simply didn’t do justice to what was possibly the greatest British double act of the 20th century.

The show is about a comic double act, one of whom writes bad plays, and the other is the funnyman (sound familiar?)

The author wants to put on ‘The Play What I Wrote’, and the latter wants to do a Morecambe and Wise tribute act.

Via several machinations, some of which involved a third guy dressed as Darryl Hannah, they end up doing the Morecambe and Wise thing, followed by ‘The Play’ in Morecambe and Wise style.

The thing felt very patchy to me, there were some moments that produced a chuckle, but these were only when they were doing ’straight’ Morecambe and Wise (wey-hay!) – one of the duo had Eric’s tone of voice to a tee. Unfortunately, these moments seemed few and far between.

The guest star was Lisa Riley of Emmerdale fame, and her introduction was handled pretty well (Morecambe and Wise style, but not a direct lift). She was refered to as Lisa Stansfield, Conda-Lisa and so on.

They riffed on ‘A you’re adorable’, they did the paper bag bit, and the sitting in the flat was referenced too.

I left wanting much more Morecambe and Wise, and much less ‘fluff’. I’d have been happiest with ‘Morecambe and Wise: The tribute’.

It has to be said that the majority of the audience seemed quite content. I think I was in the minority.

Personally, whilst it was perfectly watchable, I don’t understand how it could be an Olivier award winner. By the time they sang ‘Bring me Sunshine’, I was very pleased, partially because I’ve a fondness for that song (Eric and Ernie didn’t always use it, and I always feel a little cheated when it’s not in the show when it’s repeated on TV), but mostly I was pleased as it meant things were finishing!