Imagine that Morecambe and Wise are not famous, and that their partnership is in doubt, because Ernie, sick of being the not funny one, wants to concentrate on writing, and acting in, his awful plays. Imagine further that they are not Morecambe and Wise, but Joseph Alessi and Ben Keaton, played, incidentally, by actors of the same names, and that they live in a world where Morecambe and Wise are known and celebrated.

They have a gig. Ben, fooled by Joe and his electrician friend Arthur (Toby Sedgwick), who is pretending to be the producer in return for stage time (to play the harmonica for his mother), thinks they are there to perform his latest theatrical work "A Tight Squeeze for the Scarlet Pimple." He's wondering why Sir Ian McKellen hasn't turned up yet.

Joe knows they've actually been booked as an Eric and Ernie tribute act, and is hoping Ben will bow to audience pressure and do some comedy, thus re-establishing their double act. Joyous mayhem ensues.

Two things don't make sense about this.

One is the idea that they could be an unsuccessful comedy act. Throughout the show, whether "themselves" or not, they produce high-octane Morecambe and Wise: slightly ruder, slightly less old style, but very silly, very accomplished, very funny. Spot on, in fact.

The second is the idea that anyone might seriously want to produce the plays. They are Eric's usual rubbish, merely a vehicle for jokes: "I am France and parts of me are revolting!"

But once you realise that the whole show is, in essence, an Eric and Ernie episode and not only can, but must have a ludicrous premise, then you needn't be troubled by such trivialities as sense. It's, well, Morecambe and Wise. The special guest proves him/herself (no clues!) to be a good sport, as special guests always have. Songs, slapstick, funny dancing, inflating trees, remote control rats, who could ask for more?

And yet….and yet… it's not just an Eric and Ernie episode. The thing about Morecambe and Wise was that it was all just foolery. Nobody was ever really upset, exasperated, about to leave. And tonight we were presented with that little bit more genuine tension. Maybe it's just because I've seen those slightly bitter interviews with Ernie Wise, where he's genuinely upset, after Morecambe's death, that people were describing his late partner as "The Funny One". This production addresses that issue, and actively asserts the equal value of the straight man, even while relentlessly mocking him.

Which is a noble message, but a message nonetheless. And, well, Morecambe & Wise never did those. So it's more than a tribute. In fact, I'm not sure quite what it is.

But who cares? I'm nit-picking. Tiny nits in a large haystack. As Joe says to Ben : "Wake up and smell the curtains!" This is great entertainment.

Ian Threadgill