The Double Act: A History of British Comedy Duos

The long overdue book about the history of the great British comedy double act. 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 and Allen, to variety acts who managed to make the transformation to television such as Morecambe & Wise, to more recent performers like Armstrong & Miller and Mitchell & Webb, this book explores the dynamics of this form of entertainment. It also takes a look at the often neglected field of female double-acts, such as Victoria Wood & Julie Walters and French & Saunders, as well as the acts associated with alternative comedy and the Edinburgh Fringe. AUTHOR: Andrew Roberts is an academic in British cinema and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His articles have appeared on Sight and Sound, History Today, the Independent and The Guardian. He also contributed to Ealing Revisited (2012), British Comedy Cinema (2012) and the Routledge Companion to British Cinema (2017). He lives in Reading. 20 b/w illustrations