Long before Ant and Dec, Morecambe and Wise, even Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, there was a comedy duo that set the world on fire, and have continued to make people laugh ever since.
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were the most important comedy duo of their time.
Instantly recognisable because Stan was small and slim while Ollie was rather rotund, they made more than 100 films together and some of the iconic moments they shared still live long in the memory.
What’s perhaps less known is their life before they became megastars of the silver screen, or their off-screen relationship.
Tonight, at Eden Court Theatre, there’s an opportunity to look beneath their trademark bowler hats as Phoenix Theatre Arts present Tom McGrath’s play Laurel and Hardy.
Set in the afterlife, it takes an intimate and hilarious journey through the rise and demise of this incredible partnership.
It stars Lee Pace as Ollie and Dan James as Stan, but the talented duo also play a host of other characters, including the lads’ wives, girlfriends, managers and people like legendary movie producer Hal Roach.
However, the most hilarious moments come when legendary routines such as Stan and Ollie’s decorating slapstick are reprised, move for move, word for word.
How actors Lee and Dan got their roles is also interesting.
They appeared regularly in pantomime together and one critic referred to them as “a comic double act in the best tradition of Laurel and Hardy”.
Facially, Dan looks remarkably like Stan and is quite skinny, while Lee is a fairly big lad.
When Phil Dale decided to produce McGrath’s play, they fitted the bill perfectly.
After first being staged in May last year, it was incredibly well received, which convinced Phil the time was right to tour nationally.
“Initially, the production was really a labour of love,” said Phil.
“We had talked about it for quite a few years, but the time never really seemed right, particularly when Dan became father of his first child back in 2011.
“Eventually, it was brought to life and we were just bowled over by the response.
“We knew that we would appeal to a slightly older audience who ‘appreciated’ Laurel and Hardy.
“What we didn’t realise was that kids as young as seven and eight would come along and be in stitches at the custard pies and falling over.
“But then again, kids love Ant and Dec, and they wouldn’t be where they are now if it wasn’t for Laurel and Hardy.”
Director Jeanne Stacey said: “The play is fundamentally a biography of the lives of the two men; their background from when they were children, how they met and so on, and the first half is about their individual stories.
“The second half of the show is about their career as a double act and follows them through to their deaths.
“I really enjoyed doing the research into the show. They had quite a strange relationship at times.
“Stan was always the driving force behind the act, a real stickler for detail, but he also suffered from depression and drank a lot and had issues with wives and common-law wives.
“Ollie just wanted to turn up on the day, do his job, make the people laugh then go home and gamble, and he was always a bit of a ladies’ man.
“The pair of them were so human, but fatally flawed. Their relationship was tragic, but also full of love.”
The production utilises a large projection screen that is central to the set, which is based on a TV studio from the 1920s, and there will be re-enactments of some of their most famous scenes.
“Their appeal is enduring because they are really genuine and so funny.
“They were unforgettable; thank goodness we’ve got a record of them on film.”
The feast of slapstick family fun visits Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, tonight, at 7.30pm, as part of a nationwide tour. Call 01463 234234 or visit www.eden-court.co.uk