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The Double Act
The Double Act is part revenge tragedy, part nightmare farce. Cliff Biddle, briefly famous in 80s TV double act Biddle and Bash, is now a deranged recluse. His erstwhile partner Billy Bash has found success as ‘Britain’s Third Most Offensive Comedian’. When the final night of his tour brings Billy to Cliff’s decrepit resort, both entertainers face a long deferred and potentially fatal reckoning. The 2025 production of The Double Act starred an acclaimed trio of actors: Nigel Betts (Emmerdale, Doctor Who) Nigel Cooke (Killing Eve, Wolf Hall, The Crown) and Edward Hogg (Harlots, Taboo, Napoleon).
Venue
Cast
Nigel Betts, Nigel Cooke, Edward Hogg
Director
Oscar Pearce
Awards
Off West Award Nomination Best Actor Edward Hogg
★★★★★
“A brave and intelligent elegy for a lost England…as thematically rich as it is darkly funny… strong shades of Osborne’s The Entertainer, Sartre’s Huis Clos and the brooding menace of early Pinter, and replete with literary allusions from Poe to Hamlet … Highly recommended.”
The Telegraph
★★★★★
“A hilarious and horrifying satirical triumph… not only is the script compelling, but director Oscar Pearce has brought it to life as an atmospheric clown show… transports the audience to this sinfully silly night in Saltmouth.”
A Young(ish) Perspective
★★★★
“Jagasia and director Oscar Pearce together bring us an evening of heightened energy and high-pace theatre that holds us in the moment and delivers life as farce.”
Morning Star
★★★★
“a thought-provoking and grimly funny foray into a bygone showbiz age.”
Beyond the Joke
“Stuffed with comic invention, there’s so much to love about The Double Act.”
The Reviews Hub
“Unsettling, multi-layered, hilarious dive into the great modern British divisions, Oscar Pearce’s skilled direction of the highly accomplished cast achieves the goal he sets himself in the programme of balancing the horror with humour.”
London Grip
★★★★★
“An incredibly witty and fiercely topical dark comedy… keeps the audience on their toes. A masterpiece of dark comedy drama.”
Spy in the Stalls
★★★★
“Gleefully weird”
The Stage
★★★★
“Excellent… A fast-paced satirical farce with a message for comedians old and new… a thought provoking and thoroughly entertaining evening.”
Everything Theatre
★★★★
“This author seems to be that rare thing, a darkly observant, slightly pessimistic spirit who properly understands that the way to come at doubts and unease about your country is through comedy”
Libby Purves, Theatre Cat
“The script is full of deliciously rude zingers and the performances are terrific.”
Daily Mail
“This is the darkest, wittiest comedy playing in London… a masterly comedy.”
Fringe Review
British Theatre Guide
