I grew up watching Morecambe & Wise and recall that they were the first to encourage celebrity guests to appear on their shows. Although this isn’t something new in these celebrity-obsessed days, it was novel back then.
Christmas stopped for The Morecambe & Wise Show. Their timing was spot on. They were consummate professionals and I was hugely influenced as a performer by Eric Morecambe. He was the thinking man’s Tommy Cooper.
I used to love the put-downs Eric used to give each guest and the friendly banter they shared on their shows.
I admired just how much preparation Eric and Ernie used to put into all their TV shows. I think it’s a shame that there’s only really one video recording of their live act.
I loved the slapping dance, seen in their stage show, and this was one of my all-time favourite Morecambe & Wise routines.
The visual comedy influences Morecambe & Wise gave me and my act (from watching their shows) includes a joke with a false arm which they had used in a TV sketch. I borrowed this and used it in one of my own appearances later!
If I’d appeared on one of Morecambe & Wise’s shows, I believe that Eric would have got my name wrong and called me something like Billy Connolly or Brian Connolly instead of Brian Conley!
I greatly enjoyed performing as myself in several performances of The Play What I Wrote.
The theatrical programme for The Play What I Wrote. This was David Pugh (Producer) and Kenneth Branagh’s (Director) tribute to Morecambe & Wise. It was written mostly by (and starred) The Right Size – Sean Foley and Hamish McColl. All supporting parts were played by the multi-talented Toby Jones. Additional material came from M&W scriptwriter Eddie Braben, and me!
It began proper in 2002, and transferred to Broadway in February 2003. It went on to be franchised using different actors and directors. I was consultant to the project – whatever that term actually means – and count those days as being amongst the happiest of my working life. It’s not often you get the chance to have a bacon sarnie and a pint with Sir Kenneth! – GM