Q&A with writer and actor Nick Hyde on men’s mental health in Double Act

In dark comedy Double Act, two actors embody a man's inner conflict as he travels to the West Sussex coast intending to take his own life. Inspired by sad clowns and classic comedy duos with clowning, physical comedy, and dark humour, the play explores destructive self-talk and the healing power of listening amongst men today. Writer and actor Nick Hyde discusses the show's origins, how it’s evolved and using comedy to address serious topics.

What inspired you to write Double Act, and how did the play evolve from its original concept?

Double Act started while I was at drama school. We were tasked with putting together a thirty-minute response to a question of our choosing, and I ended up with this very surreal mish-mash of physical comedy, performance art, and tight golden underwear. It was borne from a desire to explore the link between masculinity and male suicide because I couldn’t get over the statistic that suicide was (and remains) the leading killer of men under fifty. I thought there was something in the performativity of being a man, so I tied masculine norms to variety acts and made it into this dark cabaret. 

A lot of that went in the bin when I turned it into Double Act, but there are still traces of its roots.

What is the central theme of Double Act, and how does it explore men’s mental health?

Double Act explores the relationship between masculinity and male suicide, splitting one character between two actors to vocalise the inner conflict and shed light on negative self-talk. It takes place on this character’s elected last day as he travels from his flat to the East Sussex coast. He has these grand plans for the day, but a lot of it is occupied with navigating mundanity (the rules of the tube, lunch at McDonald’s). It tackles a serious topic with levity and heart.

How does the play incorporate elements of clowning and comedy to address such a serious topic?

The comedy is vital. Our goal with the play is to open a dialogue about male suicide, something that pops up in the news every now and then but is so rarely spoken about – and when it is, it’s given this degree of morbid certainty, as though it’s a fait accompli that men complete suicide. We want our audience to engage directly with an issue that’s hard to stomach, and the comedy makes that easier. It makes it palatable.

What role do charity partners like Body & Soul and the Mental Health Foundation play in the development and impact of the play?

Our charity partners have been essential in the development of Double Act. Body & Soul and Trinity Homeless Projects attended early research and development a few years ago, viewing an early draft of the performance in a cramped basement near King’s Cross. Their feedback was instrumental in tweaking the script, ensuring it handled the topic sensitively. Several Trinity residents came to see our run at the Lion & Unicorn, which was the highlight of the process for me. During the Southwark run, the Mental Health Foundation are kindly chairing a post-show panel on the 24th to discuss the play’s themes, and we’re thankful to have their expertise to create a safe space for such a dialogue. 

Has the public and critical reception of Double Act influenced its journey from a drama school project to a full-length show? 

The first incarnation of the play went down well in the bubble of drama school, but when I took it out into the real world for a one-off performance at a theatre pub in South London, it lost some of its impact. It was so abstract that it just didn’t work with my aim. I wanted to encourage conversations about male suicide, but this weird thirty-minute thing I’d produced was just too cerebral for that. I had a useful conversation with Jef Hall-Flavin (who supervised my drama school project and would later become Double Act’s director) wherein we dissected what was working and what wasn’t. So I went back to the drawing board. All the research from the first project was knocking about, so when I sat down in front of a blank page, an early draft came out quite quickly. Many, many, many drafts later, the play was ready!

Double Act is at the Southwark Playhouse from 19 March – 5th April. The performance on the 24th is followed by a post-show talk with the Mental Health Foundation. For more go to https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/double-act/