Up-and-coming comics Alex and Ben have been booked in the warm-up spot for a beloved but fading double act's comeback tour. Neither is delighted to be playing to a sparse crowd in a sleepy seaside town - but when it's revealed that a Hollywood director is in the audience, both acts glimpse a final chance for their big break.

Cue sabotage, mistaken identity and full-on farcical mayhem, as the performance descends into a desperate battle for the limelight. With the action alternating between offstage and on, and the tone between Noises Off and Morecambe and Wise's old-school charm, The Comeback is a heart-warming exploration of bittersweet nostalgia and the enduring power of friendship.

It is the joyful and dazzlingly funny debut play by The Pin's award-winning Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen - 'destined to become one of the great comedy duos' (Radio Times). It opened at the West End's Noel Coward Theatre in December 2020.

About the Author
Ben Ashenden is an actor, writer and comedian. He is half of the comedy double-act, The Pin, with Alex Owen, with whom he has made four series for BBC Radio 4, winner of the BBC Radio Award for Best Comedy. They have also created an original programme for Audible, The Special Relationship, and an animated series for BBC 3, Oi, Leonardo! Their play, The Comeback, premiered at the Noel Coward Theatre in London's West End in 2020. Alex Owen is an actor, writer and comedian. He is half of the comedy double-act, The Pin, with Ben Ashenden, with whom he has made four series for BBC Radio 4, winner of the BBC Radio Award for Best Comedy. They have also created an original programme for Audible, The Special Relationship, and an animated series for BBC 3, Oi, Leonardo! Their play, The Comeback, premiered at the Noel Coward Theatre in London's West End in 2020.

Reviews

'A bulletproof nugget of comic theatre'

* Guardian *

'A neat conceit, played to the hilt of escalating, exhausting buffoonery... an uproarious, gag-a-minute triumph'

* Telegraph *

'Has plenty of charm... a high-energy meta-comedy'

* The Times *

'Hugely enjoyable... a complicated, fast-paced farce'

* The Arts Desk *

'Has everything you'd want in a comedy show... The Comeback is jam-packed with gags; from throwaway one-liners to clever call-backs which only get funnier and never lose speed or outstay their welcome. But what makes it so clever is how emotional moments are brought in and out throughout the show; you aren't just watching farcical situations, there are real moments of emotion too... an unmissable show full of heart and hysterical chaos that will leave you smiling for days'

* Broadway World *

'Surreal, silly and very, very funny... will simply make you laugh your socks off'

* Evening Standard *



Book Information
ISBN 9781848429925
Author Ben Ashenden
Format Paperback
Page Count 96
Imprint Nick Hern Books
Publisher Nick Hern Books