The Double Act at Arcola Theatre

In a crumbling coastal town, a fading comedian is forced to confront his estranged ex-partner – a deranged recluse fixated on their distant heyday—in a tale of guilt, ambition and the ghosts of British show-business.

Billy Bash, who gloried in the title of Britain’s Third Most Offensive Comedian, refuses to admit he is in the twilight of his career, his brand of humour unchanged since his 80s family friendly double act with Clifford Biddle came crashing down. Billy went solo; Cliff went to prison. But now, the final night of Billy’s tour brings him to the decaying seaside resort of Saltmouth, to pay a visit to his former partner, who stews in resentful obscurity.

In Cliff’s storm-lashed maisonette, truths from their shared past resurface, and the line between guilt, madness, and the supernatural blurs, spiralling into a darkly farcical nightmare.

The Double Act is an outrageous dark comedy by Mark Jagasia, author of Clarion, “Appallingly funny” (Daily Telegraph), combining gothic madness with biting humour, exploring the price of ambition, the value of laughter and the demons we can never outrun.