Battling with an unravelling mind
Nick Hyde’s Double Act explores men’s mental health and the power of listening. Two actors play the two competing sides of a man’s personality, doing battle in his unravelling mind as he journeys to the place that he plans to kill himself.
When a man takes the day off work and travels to the West Sussex coast with the intention of ending his life, he shifts back and forth between interactions with his boss, mum, ex-girlfriend and various strangers, and his inner conflict between his warring thoughts as he grapples with his crushing disappointment at how his life has turned out.
Inspired by sad clowns such Pierrot and classic comedy double acts like Laurel and Hardy, the two competing sides of the protagonist’s personality argue back and forth, with one desperate to reach the final destination, and the other finding reasons to delay what is looming. Mixing clowning with physical comedy, dark humour and a classic two handed-play, Double Act explores destructive self-talk and the redemptive power of listening amongst men today.
Hyde said, “Double Act first started as my independent project at drama school. The task was to create a thirty-minute solo piece that probed a specific question. I was drawn to explore suicide and why it remains the leading cause of death for men under fifty – was there something intrinsic in masculine performance that contributed to this grim statistic?
I explored medical literature and treatises on masculinity and, using clowning and Victorian variety acts, created a rather abstract physical piece. When I left drama school, I knew that to have the impact I wanted – to bring conversation to a silent epidemic and contribute to a vocabulary men can use to discuss how they are – I needed to start over.
After a long period of development, Double Act emerged as a comic two-hander that vocalises the inner monologue on a man’s final day; the day he has made plans to end his life. Before previewing at the Lion & Unicorn, we went through a period of research and development, collaborating with psychiatric professionals and our charity partners Body & Soul and Trinity Homeless Projects to ensure we made a sensitive piece that does such an important subject matter justice. Coming out of the theatre after the show, it was thrilling to overhear people engaged in discussions about the play, about the character, about his journey. It is a play about mental health, sure, but it’s hopeful and I hope it can bring some laughter to those who need it.”
Following the performance on Monday 24th March, there will be a post-show talk where Nick and director Jef-Hall-Flavin will discuss the themes of the show with Ntale Eastmond from charity partner the Mental Health Foundation.
Cast: Nick Hyde, Oliver Maynard. Director Jef-Hall Flavin
Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London, SE1 6BD from 19th March – 5th April.
Booking and full details: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/double-act/
