The Double Act: A History of British Comedy Duos

by Andrew Roberts

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780750984324
Publisher:	The History Press
Publication date:	11/26/2018
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

ANDREW ROBERTS has a doctorate in British Cinema from Brunel University and has written film articles to Sight and Sound, History Today, The Observer and The Daily Telegraph. He is the author of the forthcoming Idols of the Odeons. His other interests include second feature crime drama and raising autism awareness.

Table of Contents

Introduction 7

1 From the Music Hall to the Idiot's Lantern 13

2 Films and the British Double Act 45

3 Radio: 'This is the BBC Home Service' 95

4 'With Hilarious Consequences': The British Television Sitcom Double Act 109

5 The Double Act in a Fifty-Minute Package: The Filmed Television Show 159

6 The Subtle Art of the Straight Man 181

7 Double Acts that Weren't 201

8 Two Chaps (With or Without a Piano) 211

9 The Double Act and Children's Entertainment 233

10 Alternative Comedy 247

11 Dreamers and Escapists 257

12 Double Act: Single Vision 279

Index 285