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 Noël Coward Theatre in December 2020.
About the Author: Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen have recorded four series of their critically lauded show The Pin for BBC Radio 4, picking up nominations at the Writers' Guild Awards and Radio Academy Awards and winning the BBC Radio Award for Best Comedy. Ben and Alex have also recently made an eight part series for Audible, The Special Relationship, co-starring Fred Armisen, Cecily Strong, Kate Berlant, Lolly Adefope and Jamie Demetriou.
They have created the animated series Oi, Leonardo! for BBC3 and written for BBC1 shows Walliams and Friend, Tracey Ullman's Show, BBC3 series Famalam and Showtime's Who is America?. Their lockdown Zoom sketches have gained over 6 million views online.
As an actor Ben's credits include Bridget Jones's Baby, Avenue 5 (HBO) and W1A (BBC1) and Alex's include Victoria (ITV), Crackanory (Dave) and Wannabe (BBC3). They have both appeared in Stath Lets Flats (C4), Sky Christmas special After Ever After and the upcoming feature Jurassic World: Dominion.
