The Double Act: A History of British Comedy Duos

by Andrew Roberts

The double act has been at the heart of British entertainment for over 150 years, yet there has never been a book detailing how this form of comedy continues to develop. From music hall turns such as Flanagan & Allen, to variety acts who managed to make the transformation to television such as Morecambe & Wise, to more recent performers – Armstrong & Miller, Mitchell & Webb – The Double Act explores the dynamics of this form of entertainment. It encompasses the often neglected field of female double-acts, such as Victoria Wood & Julie Walters and French & Saunders, and the acts associated with alternative comedy and the Edinburgh Fringe, from Rik Mayall & Ade Edmondson to Stewart Lee & Richard Herring. There would also be chapters on the double-acts created by TV sitcoms – e.g. Tony Hancock & Sidney James, Terry & June, George & Mildred – and on the subtle art of the straight man.

288 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2019

Reviews

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book traces the history of the British comedy double act, from its origins in the 19th century music halls, though the variety theatres of the interwar years, and on into radio, film and TV. It traces the evolution from on-stage patter to something more sophisticated but still reliant on the same essential chemistry.

It's a comprehensive account, although it does stretch the definition of a double act a bit in places. Dougal and Brian in 'The Magic Roundabout', really? The biggest issue I had here though was presentation. There are too many silly typos. Also each chapter has its own bibliography with entries referenced in brackets in the main text. I found this rather off putting and can't help thinking there must be a more elegant and less intrusive way of doing it.

[Malcolm Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover of this book states that it is a history of British comedy duos..Well it is for the early part of the book,but it then veres off course.So for example he includes Terry Thomas and.Ian Carmicheal,and later George Cole and Dennis Waterman neither pairing of whom one could remotely describe as a comedy duo.
The author seems to believe that he is an embryonic comedy writer by dropping in "witty" lines here and there which fall like a lead balloon.
There are too many typos to believe that the book had been edited.
I would have given this 2stars but I have him an extra star for liking my favourites,Flanagan and Allen.

[Ray Smillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It does what it says on the cover going back to the music hall days. Very well researched. I had forgotten the Krankies had been the presenters of Crackerjack but, in my defence, I had stopped watching it long before then, so I missed a duet with Gary Numan and Basil Brush.

[Mick Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well crafted book,full of nostalgia.a care for the subject with just the right side of what could be termed breaking the fourth wall.mant double acts are covered from the well known to the more obscure.worth anybody's time who are interested in variety to read.

[Ann Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent