The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureTheatre

The Comeback at Noël Coward Theatre

The Comeback at Noël Coward Theatre | Theatre review
14 December 2020
Mersa Auda
Avatar
Mersa Auda
14 December 2020

Comic duo Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen, also known as Radio 4’s The Pin, are delighting audiences with a West End play packed with laughs. A welcome breeze of lightheartedness, The Comeback is not just a comedy about comedians, but an ode to the genre itself. The production brings together most of the long-standing comic elements and weaves them into a plot that’s as surreal as it is congenial. A mix of double-entendres, misunderstandings, stand-up jokes, pranks, farce, and playing with the concepts of doubles and disguise means that there’s never a dull moment.

The play begins with its protagonists, a double act also named Ben and Alex, performing a gig as the supporting act of another comic duo, named Jimmy and Syd (also played by Ashenden and Owen). Ben and Alex are awaiting their big breakthrough, whereas Jimmy and Syd have had their heyday and are hoping to revive their success with this comeback tour. The seasoned comedians are disheartened and not very optimistic, but when they discover that a Hollywood director is in the audience, they find new vigour and decide to impress him. A little accident scuppers their plans, however, and sets off a hilarious mix-up of roles involving the two couples, now rivals.

Directed by Emily Burns, the show is dynamic and full of energy. The physicality of the sketches is noteworthy and, coupled with Ashenden and Owen’s impeccable comic timing, makes for an exhilarating ride. Props play a big part in bringing the sketches to life, and theatre itself is a theme and a protagonist. The Comeback is a nod to comedy duos of the past but it also feels like a gesture of encouragement to any comedian feeling the pressure of their role and the audience’s expectations. Fun, brilliantly executed and a celebration of the art of performance, it’s exactly the kind of entertainment that is needed at this time.

★★★★★

Mersa Auda
Photos: Marc Brenner

The Comeback is at Noël Coward Theatre from 8th December 2020 with performances after 15thDecember postponed until further notice. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Related Itemsalex owenben ashendenfeaturedonline theatrereviewthe pin

More in Theatre

Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium

★★★★★
Cristiana Ferrauti
Read More

Evelyn at Southwark Playhouse

★★★★★
Jim Compton-Hall
Read More

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World at Theatre Royal Stratford East

★★★★★
Natallia Pearmain
Read More

King Lear at Shakespeare’s Globe

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More

This Is Not Who I Am/Rapture at the Royal Court Theatre

★★★★★
Jessica Wall
Read More

“Flamenco is a race where there is no end – you never stop learning”: An interview with Manuel Liñán on ¡Viva! at the Sadler’s Wells Flamenco Festival 2022

Jessica Wall
Read More

Jitney at the Old Vic

★★★★★
Jonathan Marshall
Read More

“The fact a play as relevant as Jitney is not known outside of the US is criminal”: An interview with Sule Rimi on starring in August Wilson’s Jitney at the Old Vic

Jonathan Marshall
Read More

The Car Man at the Royal Albert Hall

★★★★★
Jim Compton-Hall
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Theatre review

Mersa Auda

The Comeback

★★★★★

Dates

From 8th December 2020

Price

From £10

Links & directions

TwitterInstagramFacebookWebsiteMap

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Ed Sheeran at Wembley Stadium
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Eagles bring a nostalgia-laden evening to the BST Festival in Hyde Park
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Africa Fashion at the V&A
    ★★★★★
    Art
  • “He used to spit at the audience, roll on the ground, he did, in fact, hump that plastic dog – he was the original punk rocker”: Baz Luhrman, Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge and Alton Mason on Elvis
    Cinema & Tv
  • The Princess
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • The Terminal List
    ★★★★★
    amazon
  • Baymax!
    ★★★★★
    disney
  • St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Netflix Walking Tour: From Bridgerton to The Crown, a free walking tour through the filming locations
    Cinema & Tv
  • Africa Fashion at the V&A
    ★★★★★
    Art
  • Minions: The Rise of Gru
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Love Letters at Theatre Royal Haymarket | Theatre review
Wahaca en Casa: An easy, fun to prepare Mexican feast for this Christmas