Tag Archives: Rachel Isobel Heritage

THE DOUBLE ACT

★★★★★

Arcola Theatre

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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

 

 

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

TARANTULA | ★★★★ | January 2025
HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS | ★★★★ | December 2024
DISTANT MEMORIES OF THE NEAR FUTURE | ★★★ | November 2024
THE BAND BACK TOGETHER | ★★★★ | September 2024
MR PUNCH AT THE OPERA | ★★★ | August 2024
FABULOUS CREATURES | ★★★ | May 2024
THE BOOK OF GRACE | ★★★★★ | May 2024
LIFE WITH OSCAR | ★★★ | April 2024
WHEN YOU PASS OVER MY TOMB | ★★★★★ | February 2024
SPUTNIK SWEETHEART | ★★★ | October 2023
GENTLEMEN | ★★★★ | October 2023
THE BRIEF LIFE & MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF BORIS III, KING OF BULGARIA | ★★★★★ | September 2023

THE DOUBLE ACT

THE DOUBLE ACT

THE DOUBLE ACT

 

 

🎭 A TOP SHOW IN OCTOBER 2024 🎭

THE FLEA

★★★★★

Yard Theatre

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THE FLEA at the Yard Theatre

★★★★★

“bold, innovative, interesting and risk-taking theatre”

James Fritz’ ‘The Flea’ is a pleasurably innovative, hilarious and touching piece of theatre. It explores themes of systemic homophobia, the marginalisation of the working classes and the issues of criminalisation of sex workers, all within the context of Victorian Britain. And even with such heavy themes, it still managers to be utterly hysterical throughout.

The play follows Emily and her son Charlie. They’re a poor family and Charlie notices his Mum going without food, so he starts bringing home extra cash to give to her. She’s suspicious about where it comes from though, but she stops asking questions after he tells her it’s his post office ‘bonus’. Unfortunately, the police were suspicious too, and we discover Charlie is involved in a high end brothel scheme. The investigation into the establishment is what we follow in the play.

The show is immediately gripping in its presentation of the narrative – using various forms of movement, multi-media and multi-roling to tell this story. Jay Miller’s direction as a result is never unexciting and I can honestly say I was gripped throughout the whole piece. There was not one moment where the energy dropped. The space was also used incredibly well in this sense. The stage (designed by Naomi Kuyck-Cohen) was divided into three separate platforms with a runway along the middle. Each platform created distinctive settings: A police station, Emily’s house, an aristocrat’s living room and various others. The majority of which was also filled with comically small furniture.

Lambdog1066 is responsible for the incredible costume design; Victorian-esque designs  mixed with punk aesthetic choices such leather jackets, patchwork pieces and various decorative zips. A special commendation also has to go to the cast at this point for many swift changes of outfit.

All the actors are extremely committed throughout the play. Breffni Holahan leads the show with an attention to emotional detail ranging from joy to anguish that is truly remarkable. Aaron Gill also shone in several roles, but I particularly enjoyed him as the police constable which provided a lot of the subtle, tongue in cheek comedy.

Fritz’ writing is simply brewing with heart and great care for all of his characters. Many of which have their flaws yet there wasn’t one person who I couldn’t understand or sympathise with. And I think that’s how you succeed in taking risks in theatre; you approach every step with care and you don’t cut corners on the details. This is the kind of bold, innovative, interesting and risk-taking theatre that the industry has been crying out for, for a long time. Definitely worth a watch.


THE FLEA at the Yard Theatre

Reviewed on 22nd October 2024

by Rachel Isobel Heritage

Photography by Marc Brenner

 

 

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE FLEA | ★★★★ | October 2023

THE FLEA

THE FLEA

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