REVIEW: Mother Goose at the Duke of York's Theatre

This was my twenty-second pantomime of the 2022/23 season and you hope through the marathon set of visits to save the best to last. After six Jack and the Beanstalks, six Cinderellas, three Aladdins, two Goldilocks and three bears, a beauty and the beast, a sleeping beauty, and a Snow White, the second Mother Goose proved to be just that. What’s more, there are still ten venues to catch it again at until 16th April – so book now to see a real treat. 

Jonathan Harvey’s brilliant script does everything you want for a Pantomime, it makes sense of the Mother Goose Story, builds cleverly on the talents of the cast, and integrates the traditional Panto business into the tale so it makes a coherent whole. John Bishop tells the audience in his ten-minute warm-up before the curtain rises to forget what it's like outside and immerse themselves in the Panto experience and the whole cast works wonderfully together to make sure that happens.

REVIEW: Eric and Erin at the Duke of York's Theatre

For a whole generation, Morecambe and Wise were British comedy legends and we fell in love with their unique double act in the seventies and early eighties. Over thirty years after we were shocked by Eric Morecambe's death at 58 in 1984, the memory of their greatest sketches and routines continue to be celebrated on TV. On stage this latest West End show at the Duke of York Theatre is an affectionate tribute to many of their best-known gags. While the sketches show their age with references to the stars of the day like Des, Slade, Percy Edwards, Russ Conway and Marjorie Proops, it also celebrates their gentle humour and brilliant timing.

Ian Ashpitel wonderfully recreates the stage presence of Ernie Wise, the little one with short fat hairy legs and a pretend grey toupee. The straight man who feeds Eric and who bears the brunt of many of his putdowns, but he is also the anchor of the double act and constantly demonstrates his well-tuned music hall craft.