AUSTRALIA
(premiere production)
FARCE OF GOOD CLEAN DIRTY FUN
Infectious entertainment, it begins in blaze-away style with salvos of almost continually funny one-liners and then modulates towards comedy and eventually, a kind of acid pathos.
The play's flight into drama comes to ground gently, wryly and logically. Its craftsmanship as entertainment is first rate.
The inspiration is a masterpiece about another pair who loved not wisely, but too well, yet could not live in peace together. That play is Private Lives and it is a running "in" joke in Double Act that the debt is not merely acknowledged, but boasted with explicit allusions and sly echoes. This affinity with a classic sets the tone - and the tone is of worldly sophistication.
The play never becomes a romp, even when most farcical... though it easily could as it surveys its many marital topics - infidelity, rivalry, virility, sterility, impotence, children, menopause, bisexuality, mothers and fathers, the deep, dark, dirty secrets of the nursery.
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
Harry Kippax
(premiere production)
FARCE OF GOOD CLEAN DIRTY FUN
Infectious entertainment, it begins in blaze-away style with salvos of almost continually funny one-liners and then modulates towards comedy and eventually, a kind of acid pathos.
The play's flight into drama comes to ground gently, wryly and logically. Its craftsmanship as entertainment is first rate.
The inspiration is a masterpiece about another pair who loved not wisely, but too well, yet could not live in peace together. That play is Private Lives and it is a running "in" joke in Double Act that the debt is not merely acknowledged, but boasted with explicit allusions and sly echoes. This affinity with a classic sets the tone - and the tone is of worldly sophistication.
The play never becomes a romp, even when most farcical... though it easily could as it surveys its many marital topics - infidelity, rivalry, virility, sterility, impotence, children, menopause, bisexuality, mothers and fathers, the deep, dark, dirty secrets of the nursery.
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
Harry Kippax
CANADA
WARM, WITTY DOUBLE ACT CHARMS
Funny, touching, and immensely entertaining.
Kerry Corrigan, Guardian
High octane dialogue - It's Neil Simon with venom.
A cleverly updated revamp of an age old theme.. clever, because the language is clearly of the present, pithy and direct. Where "Virginia Woolf" and "Private Lives" feared to tread, Australian writer Barry Creyton steps in to explore in intimate, erotic detail, everything that goes right - and wrong - between two people. ..A hundred minute exchange of love, lust and verbal abuse.
Geoff Chapman, Toronto
A double hit, double header..!
Bill Watts , The News/Post
A laugh a minute!
Anita Higenell, The Recorder
A racy delight.
..sparkling dialogue.. witty.. excellent repartee.. with more than a little vitriolic bite.
Vic Hyde, Sunday Sun
A titillating evening of theatre
There is probably no reason to see this production, other than to have a very good time.
The laughs come often, along with more than a little guilt, and twinges of self-
recognition.
Jim Costley, Theatre Adventure
WARM, WITTY DOUBLE ACT CHARMS
Funny, touching, and immensely entertaining.
Kerry Corrigan, Guardian
High octane dialogue - It's Neil Simon with venom.
A cleverly updated revamp of an age old theme.. clever, because the language is clearly of the present, pithy and direct. Where "Virginia Woolf" and "Private Lives" feared to tread, Australian writer Barry Creyton steps in to explore in intimate, erotic detail, everything that goes right - and wrong - between two people. ..A hundred minute exchange of love, lust and verbal abuse.
Geoff Chapman, Toronto
A double hit, double header..!
Bill Watts , The News/Post
A laugh a minute!
Anita Higenell, The Recorder
A racy delight.
..sparkling dialogue.. witty.. excellent repartee.. with more than a little vitriolic bite.
Vic Hyde, Sunday Sun
A titillating evening of theatre
There is probably no reason to see this production, other than to have a very good time.
The laughs come often, along with more than a little guilt, and twinges of self-
recognition.
Jim Costley, Theatre Adventure
PARIS
NEITHER WITH YOU NOR WITHOUT YOU
A high voltage exercise in hand-to-hand combat...
A comedy in which one fears the worst, but also the best - with "Cirque a Deux", the best is in each scene. A delight!
TV Figaro
NEITHER WITH YOU NOR WITHOUT YOU
A high voltage exercise in hand-to-hand combat...
A comedy in which one fears the worst, but also the best - with "Cirque a Deux", the best is in each scene. A delight!
TV Figaro
LONDON
A SULPHUROUSLY HILARIOUS TWO HANDER
Creyton has set up a mood of his own: bitter, mordant, raucously funny, and humane.
SUNDAY TIMES
John Peter
A SULPHUROUSLY HILARIOUS TWO HANDER
Creyton has set up a mood of his own: bitter, mordant, raucously funny, and humane.
SUNDAY TIMES
John Peter
AUSTRALIA
(second revival)
Outrageous, funny and touching, Double Act is not to be missed!
Double Act is a jewel of a play, turning and flashing under the merciless glare of Barry Creyton's scrutiny of marriage relationships and lit with the cutting edge of diabolic humour.
Last night's audience positively relished the overt sexual banter that studs the texture of the script, yet with all its Cowardesque brilliance in repartee, and profusion of one-liners, Double Act achieves the rare distinction of operating at two levels.
The humour is exact and pointed, dressing savagery in the garb of language that is often shaped with the easy resonance of Wilde or Coward.
In sum, Double Act is elegantly outrageous, wickedly funny and touching in its exploration of emotional issues. Definitely not to missed!
Adrian Wintle
THE ADVERTISER
(second revival)
Outrageous, funny and touching, Double Act is not to be missed!
Double Act is a jewel of a play, turning and flashing under the merciless glare of Barry Creyton's scrutiny of marriage relationships and lit with the cutting edge of diabolic humour.
Last night's audience positively relished the overt sexual banter that studs the texture of the script, yet with all its Cowardesque brilliance in repartee, and profusion of one-liners, Double Act achieves the rare distinction of operating at two levels.
The humour is exact and pointed, dressing savagery in the garb of language that is often shaped with the easy resonance of Wilde or Coward.
In sum, Double Act is elegantly outrageous, wickedly funny and touching in its exploration of emotional issues. Definitely not to missed!
Adrian Wintle
THE ADVERTISER
MADRID
In the lively and ingenious dramatic structure of the piece .. the two characters converse in rapid shots as full of wit as of Freudian psychology.
At the last bell, the final referee, the public, gave a verdict of total victory by knockout to an original, graceful play, well – very well served
Lorenz Lopez Sancuo
ABC MADRID
In the lively and ingenious dramatic structure of the piece .. the two characters converse in rapid shots as full of wit as of Freudian psychology.
At the last bell, the final referee, the public, gave a verdict of total victory by knockout to an original, graceful play, well – very well served
Lorenz Lopez Sancuo
ABC MADRID
NEW HAMPSHIRE
WITTY DIALOGUE, FINE ACTING ADD PUNCH TO 'DOUBLE ACT'.
Forget boxing, Double Act revives the sport of verbal sparring and brings it up to championship level. ...a bittersweet domestic comedy - what makes this familiar topic fresh is Creyton's unerring ear for biting repartee.
Terry Byrne
BOSTON HERALD
WITTY DIALOGUE, FINE ACTING ADD PUNCH TO 'DOUBLE ACT'.
Forget boxing, Double Act revives the sport of verbal sparring and brings it up to championship level. ...a bittersweet domestic comedy - what makes this familiar topic fresh is Creyton's unerring ear for biting repartee.
Terry Byrne
BOSTON HERALD
ROME
A beautiful American comedy of the kind seldom written these days.
An international success - much heartfelt applause!
CORRIERE DELLA SERA
Luca Archibugi
A beautiful American comedy of the kind seldom written these days.
An international success - much heartfelt applause!
CORRIERE DELLA SERA
Luca Archibugi
WINDSOR, ENGLAND
(prior to West End)
BITINGLY WITTY SCRIPT IN THIS INGENIOUS ACT
Maidenhead Advertiser
A CORUSCATING TOUR DE FORCE
A searing examination of marriage - gloriously, if bitterly, funny.
Windsor Express
(prior to West End)
BITINGLY WITTY SCRIPT IN THIS INGENIOUS ACT
Maidenhead Advertiser
A CORUSCATING TOUR DE FORCE
A searing examination of marriage - gloriously, if bitterly, funny.
Windsor Express
BERLIN
A GAME WITH UNERRING PUNCHLINES
Alex and George exchange malice with the lightness that other people play badminton.
Martina Schurmann NRZ
Barry Creyton's delicious comedy is loaded with the everyday insanity of a dysfunctional relationship.
An object lesson in the instability of emotions which ambushes the audience with comedy.
Manfred Krause, Zeitungsausschnitt
A GAME WITH UNERRING PUNCHLINES
Alex and George exchange malice with the lightness that other people play badminton.
Martina Schurmann NRZ
Barry Creyton's delicious comedy is loaded with the everyday insanity of a dysfunctional relationship.
An object lesson in the instability of emotions which ambushes the audience with comedy.
Manfred Krause, Zeitungsausschnitt
AUSTRALIA
(4th revival)
DOUBLE LAUGHS
Barry Creyton's sting-in-the-tail comedy .. continues the be a relevant, a racy double act for its cast of two... his deft pen aims straight for the funny bone and strikes it dead centre.
Creyton's craftsmanship never fails to powerfully project message and propel action.
SUNDAY HERALD SUN Melbourne
(4th revival)
DOUBLE LAUGHS
Barry Creyton's sting-in-the-tail comedy .. continues the be a relevant, a racy double act for its cast of two... his deft pen aims straight for the funny bone and strikes it dead centre.
Creyton's craftsmanship never fails to powerfully project message and propel action.
SUNDAY HERALD SUN Melbourne