THE DOUBLE ACT

Arcola Theatre

★★★★★

“It truly is a masterful example of dark comedy”

The Double Act is an incredibly witty and fiercely topical dark comedy by Mark Jagasia. It follows Billy Bash as he visits his estranged ex-comedy partner while on tour, discovering he’s now a reclusive madman obsessed with their past. As he appears to wear the title of Britain’s Third Most Offensive Comedian like a reclaimed badge of honour, he fails to recognise the descent of his comedy career. Can Cliff convince him to let him out the dark, and join forces to resurrect their old act? With darker forces from their past at play, that is doubtful.

From the very start The Double Act keeps the audience on their toes asking questions about the next mystery. Beginning with Billy (Nigel Betts) and Gulliver’s (Edward Hogg) search for Cliff (Nigel Cooke) in Cliff’s own flat. Gulliver is Cliff’s lodger, who appears to be deeply affectionate and attentive of Cliff, keen to get him back on stage. Yet after finding Cliff – and questioning whether his pet python is real or not – Gulliver’s true identity and motivations is another mystery the audience is esteemed to investigate. Jagasia succeeds in holding such intrigue and managing to keep everyone laughing with joke after joke that hit on almost every other line. It truly is a masterful example of dark comedy. The themes of forgiveness, guilt, value of laughter and retribution are constant throughout. Billy represents the ‘you can’t say anything nowadays, and yet I’m saying it with no consequence’ comedy brigade, where Cliff represents an almost Christmas future-like ghost of him. And unknowingly to the pair of them, Gulliver is their ultimate critic. The question of Billy’s morals within his comedy style is always alive, in a way constantly brought up by himself as he is persistently on the defence. As Cliff questions “What if some laughs are bad?”, the play takes a controversial and heated debate and transforms it into a meaningful and thoughtful conversation about the value of comedy.

The cast are undoubtedly incredible. Nigel Betts plays Billy with a stern focus, never dropping his proud successful straight man ego. His physicality also of his repeatedly breaking back made me wince. Nigel Cooke as Cliff was adorably child-like, in spite of his insanity driven creepiness. He excels in his physical comedy, as does Edward Hogg as Gulliver, both sharing hilarious moments of movement on stage. Praise here is pointed towards Movement Director Sian Williams. Oscar Pearce’s direction keeps the action constantly moving, assisting the play’s tendency of keeping the audience in anticipation. Overall making the very intimate space, with a wonderfully rundown naturalistic living room design of the set (Sarah Beaton), feel larger than life from the stalls. This is complimented by the subtleties of the sound design (Dan Balfour), which goes from silence to creepy horror music when driving the tension, alongside the occasional spooky snake sound effect.

Overall, The Double Act is a hilarious and exciting show that successfully brings life to comedy ghosts of the past. A masterpiece of dark comedy drama.

THE DOUBLE ACT

Arcola Theatre

Reviewed on 27th January 2025

by Rachel Isobel Heritage

Photography by Alex Brenner

THE DOUBLE ACT

The Good Life

Cambridge Arts Theatre | UK Tour

Reviewed – 9th November 2021

★★

“the sit-com format over two hours disappoints”

For anyone not in the know, The Good Life (by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey) was one of BBC TV’s most successful situation comedy programmes airing between 1975 and 1978 which elevated its four main actors to near national treasure status. How then are we to judge this new stage version (adapted and directed by Jeremy Sams), taking the characters as they are without censuring them for not being the faces and voices that we so loved? Well, needs must.

The curtain rises on the morning of Tom Good’s (Rufus Hound) fortieth birthday and his feeling that life is not all it could be. By the end of the day he has quit his job designing cereal box plastic toys and embarked on a mission with wife Barbara (Sally Tatum) to become self-sufficient, turning their suburban house and garden into a freeholding along with chickens, pigs and a marauding goat called Stephanie (a deliberately humorous animatronic puppet). Next door live their friends, haughty and houseproud Margo (Preeya Kalidas) and Tom’s now ex-boss Jerry Leadbetter (Dominic Rowan).

Sams explains in his programme note of the contemporary resonances there are to be heard in this story but the overwhelming feeling is of a period piece. The characters are not much developed beyond what we know already, the biggest laughs come from references to chicken Kiev and black forest gateau, and despite some additional storyline from Sams – including one scene involving the smoking of pot which is unlikely to have made it onto 1970s TV – the key episodes follow events from the TV series.

An ingenious set design (Michael Taylor) incorporates two revolving flats that rotate to reveal either the Good’s kitchen or the Leadbetter’s living room. 1970s furniture – sideboard, hostess trolley, electronic organ, serving hatch – provide the period feel. (A banner in the final scene places us specifically in 1977).

Four loosely-linked scenes ensue of the ups-and-downs of the Good’s new life, and how it affects their relationship with the Leadbetters but the sit-com format over two hours disappoints. When the main joke of one scene is that ‘the Pigman has nobbled the cake’ and the drama reaches its climax with an inebriated tango and a conga around the living room, it all feels just a little lame. An attempt for greater poignancy with a story involving Barbara’s attempts to save the life of a new-born piglet is too long and clumsily staged.

The energy of the ensemble cannot be faulted. There is some excellent quickfire repartee between Tom and Barbara, and Rufus Hound seems most comfortable in his role, but what is missing is any sparkle between the couple. We should see their shared enjoyment when they tease Margo – who does not understand why something is amusing – and the occasional innuendo should seem naughty but falls flat. Next door, Preeya Kalidas does her snooty best as Margo but we only see one side of her character and her propriety always slows the pace. Dominic Rowan does a fine job as Jerry placating his wife and toadying to his boss. Surprisingly, the star turn of the evening comes from Nigel Betts whose four cameo roles with different costumes, hair, and accents are much enjoyed.

There are laughs aplenty to be had in this amiable entertainment which evokes memories of comfy afternoons in front of the telly, a glass of Liebfraumilch in the hand, but, as Tom says right at the start, “is that it?”

THE DOUBLE ACT

Arcola Theatre

★★★★★

“It truly is a masterful example of dark comedy”

THE DOUBLE ACT

Arcola Theatre

Reviewed on 27th January 2025

by Rachel Isobel Heritage

Photography by Alex Brenner

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE DOUBLE ACT

THE DOUBLE ACT

THE DOUBLE ACT

Cambridge Arts Theatre | UK Tour

Reviewed – 9th November 2021

★★

“the sit-com format over two hours disappoints”

There are laughs aplenty to be had in this amiable entertainment which evokes memories of comfy afternoons in front of the telly, a glass of Liebfraumilch in the hand, but, as Tom says right at the start, “is that it?”

Reviewed by Phillip Money

Photography by Dan Tsantilis

The Good Life

Cambridge Arts Theatre until 13th November then UK Tour continues

Previously reviewed at this venue: