The Play What I Wrote

Following triumphant sell-out runs in the West End, The Play What I Wrote travelled to the Isle of Wight in March to allow local audiences the chance to experience this multi-award-winning phenomenon.

Islanders braved cold and icy winds to make their way to Medina Theatre on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings of a week which saw our initial hopes of spring dashed by markedly cooler conditions bringing to the Island the first snow showers for 2007. However, once the audience settled into their seats and the performance began, all thoughts relating to the weather melted almost as swiftly as the elements outside.

For 3 nights only, Medina Theatre was transformed into a West End stage!

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, The Play What I Wrote is a celebration of Britain's greatest comedy double act - Morecambe and Wise. Islanders with fond memories of the duo will agree that the play certainly succeeded in capturing the wonderful comic timing and sheer idiotic humour that was Eric and Ernie's trademark throughout their career together on stage and TV.

Winner of two prestigious Olivier Awards - including Best New Comedy, and recipient of a Tony nomination in New York, The Play What I Wrote is renowned for the rave reviews it received in London and indeed during its time on Broadway. What a scoop therefore for our very own Medina Theatre to play host to a genuine West End production, right here on the Isle of Wight!

Bring me sunshine…

The show was brilliantly carried off by the hard-working Andrew Cryer and Greg Haiste (as the famous duo) and Anthony Hoggard as the man of many guises. The three actors combined to recreate a golden era of Television Light Entertainment; probably the best chance available to us to ever see the UK's favourite two comics recreated on stage.

However this said, we all know that there can never be another Eric & Ernie, so Greg and Andrew retain their own identities but parallel the antics of the renowned duo in such a way as to avoid invidious comparisons. The premise is offered that one half of a struggling double act tricks his partner into doing a Morecambe and Wise tribute rather than allowing him to become an unsuccessful playwright.

Anthony Hoggard appeared from the audience as an armed member of the 'Morecambe and Wise Appreciation Society - Military Wing' demanding to see the real pair and he then goes on to perform a variety of hilarious comic roles from Eric and Ernie's famous wanna-be harmonica player, Arthur Tolcher, to Darryl Hannah and even a jailer in the Bastille.

Famous faces, boundless energy, fast one liners and terrible puns

A well-acclaimed characteristic of The Play What I Wrote is that the performance always features a celebrity guest star, who tends not to be announced. Anticipation intensified during the interval at Medina Theatre the 100-strong audience on the opening night (which became 250-strong the following!) awaited the beginning of the second act and the arrival of the "mystery celebrity guest" ready for a starring role in Greg's "brilliant new play" - "A Tight Squeeze For The Scarlet Pimple."

Ralph Fiennes, Sir Ian McKellan, Ewan McGregor, Dawn French, Joanna Lumley, Kylie Minogue, Will Young and Roger Moore are among the famous faces to have "guested" in the play in recent times, and the production at Medina Theatre was treated to a big name too! This being the Isle of Wight, word had already got out that legendary actor Christopher Biggins, star of Porridge, The Likely Lads and The Rocky Horror Picture Show to name but a few would be appearing live on stage, and it is safe to say that audiences were not disappointed.

Taking time out from his tour with The Rocky Horror Picture Show especially to come to the Isle of Wight, Christopher Biggins' made his entrance to rapturous round of applause. Throwing himself into the role, Biggins willingly suffered the Morecambe and Wise-style humiliation of going from being mistaken for a drunk on the stage to best buddy and the son of 'Count Toblerone.'

At one point he was even required to adorn a dress; an ironic feature of his role which fittingly saw him reprise his famous reputation and delight the audience by appearing before them as a pantomime dame. Biggins relaxed into the routine of slapstick and raised the evenings performance to a new level.

Support your local theatre!

Speaking on Isle of Wight Radio mid-way through his visit to the Island, Christopher Biggins expressed his gratitude to the Island audience for their heartfelt and zealous response to the play, but admitted that he was disappointed not to have seen more people there. Performances such as this are an excellent way of getting behind and showing our support for local theatre. With musical acts ranging from The Drifters to The New Seekers and the Syd Lawrence Orchestra, to plays varying from Jack and the Beanstork to Humpty Dumpty and a large number of screenings of popular films; there's something for everyone.

Please visit the Medina Theatre website for further details of the impressive range of acts to come throughout the duration of 2007. Alternatively if you would like a quarterly programme of events delivered directly to you, please ask the Box Office to include you on their mailing list.

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