Keane & Doyle Return from Their Edinburgh Festival Fringe Debut with Feelings, Friends, and Nothing but Four and Five Star Reviews!
Photography by Tristan Fennell
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“2Elfth Night is a jaw-dropping display of vaudevillian Shakespeare, with female-male double-act Keane & Doyle sharing nearly every part […]”
Professional Reviews
Nothing but 4 and 5 out of 5 Stars!
Ronan Hatfull
The 730 Review — FIVE STARS:
“2Elfth Night is a jaw-dropping display of vaudevillian Shakespeare, with female-male double-act Keane & Doyle sharing nearly every part […]” — Ronan Hartfull, ‘The 730 Review’
“Doyle’s imperious Olivia”
The 730 Review
“The result is chaotic, intense, farcical and joyous. So perfectly do they inhabit and distinguish each specific character, that it is sometimes difficult to believe that there are only two actors onstage. Particular highlights include cross-gender cast examples such as Keane’s frat boy-aping Sebastian and Doyle’s imperious Olivia. I also commend Doyle’s British accents, which are some of the best I’ve ever heard from an American actor, to the extent that I was completely unsure of his native dialect until he thanked the audience at the end of the show.”
“Keane’s frat boy-aping Sebastian”
The 730 Review
“These interpolations and Shakespop mash-ups enhance the production’s irreverent tone and make it one of the most accessible Shakespeare productions at the Fringe.”
“It must also be said that the plot, despite being conveyed by just two actors, is incredibly clear and well conveyed to the audience. There are moments when the comedy is stripped away and Keane & Doyle demonstrate their dramatic chops. For instance, during Keane’s delivery of Viola’s speech in Act 2 Scene 3 which concludes with her reply to Duke Orsino that she is ‘all the daughters of [her] father’s house’, there was a palpable, awestruck silence in the theatre, as Keane delivered the lines with beautiful sincerity and a clear, naturalistic tone. The best productions of Shakespeare’s comedies are those which recognise the need to lean into those serious moments of shade amidst the raucous light and 2Elfth Night is a perfect example of this.”
“Sincerity and a clear, naturalistic tone”
The 730 Review
“I would compel you to catch them at your earliest convenience and look out for their brilliant work. This is a company operating in the true, vaudevillian spirit of Monty Python, the Reduced Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre of Brent and their work presents Shakespeare as the playwright himself would surely have intended: fast, direct, involving and moving.”
Christopher Gaunt
The Wee Review — FOUR STARS:
“They change characters seamlessly, using new voices, different mannerisms, and as-slick-as-possible costume changes. However, during all of this absurdity, they still keep to much of the same dialogue as the piece from which the story derives. Thus allowing for both Shakespeare novices, as well as frequent visitors’ of the Globe Theatre in London, to find joy in the production.”
“Joy and energy the pair bring”
The Wee Review
“The play finds a nice balance between interacting with the audience and showcasing the pair’s natural character acting and physical comedy. […] The joy and energy the pair bring to the performance provide the most delight for the audience. They seem to be having genuine fun telling this absurd rendition of a timeless story, whilst also giving it the grace it deserves, and ultimately providing laughter and smiles to everyone lucky enough to attend.”
“They SEEM to be having genuine fun”
The Wee Review (emphasis ours)
Elaine Chapman
Freelance Review — FOUR STARS
Natalie Holman
Three Weeks Edinburgh — FOUR STARS:
“Despite all the fun kerfuffle onstage, they do actually portray Shakespeare’s classic clearly and succinctly. ‘2Elfth Night’ is an enjoyable, comedic and engaging production suitable for all ages.”
“The interplay and chemistry…is tremendously fun”
Binge Fringe
Jasper Cresdee-Hyde
Binge Fringe — FOUR STARS:
“The interplay and chemistry between Keane and Doyle is tremendously fun; sure, they’re an established duo by this point, having been performing together since January 2017, but strong interactions aren’t necessarily a guarantee at the Fringe.”
“Indeed, each are accomplished actors in their own right, weaving between a wide variety of characters effortlessly while being funny in the process.”
Tweet-Sized Reviews — FOUR STARS:
“12th night by 2 people in an hour, feat. Audience participation, possibly recognisable tunes, several cups of water and of course, stripy yellow socks. Fast paced without losing the sweeter beats of the play, highly entertaining & worth a look!”
“Shakespop […] effortlessly […] entertaining”
The 730 Review […] Binge Fringe […] Tweet-Sized Review
Audience Reviews
Available Here: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/2elfth-night
Beth Hayward:
What’s the recipe for a tasty Twelfth Night?
Take a pair of clowns
Add various volunteer members of the audience.
Sprinkle with some silly props & costumes.
Let simmer for an hour
Then serve up the perfect Shakespeare comedy.
Gloriously inventive, gentle & funny. What a sweet treat to finish off my Edinburgh Fringe Fest FEAST!
Jo Walton:
This is just flat out hilarious. If you like Shakespeare's comedies at all, you should see this duo doing all the parts and still making everything work. A very judicious cut, some excellent acting and timing and audience participation.
Thomas N:
In a small room with barely 20 members of the audience, the acting duo flying through Twelfth Night at a breakneck pace populated it with a dozen characters, a whirlwind of flasks and wigs, and a charming stage manager. A hilarious show at a surprisingly low price
Ada Palmer:
Delightful edit of the classic play, hilarious throughout and touching at the moments the story should be touching. Both performers showed virtuosity bringing so many different characters to life, and the direct engagement with the audience was warm and brilliantly coordinated. It can be hard editing a long play down to a Fringe-length cut, but this abridgment was expertly and prudently done, keeping all the treasured moments and making the story easy to follow even if one didn't know the play, but richer if one did. Delightful for Shakespeare buffs and novices alike!
Jack Clifford:
This was a really fantastic and fun way to spend our evening, the 2 man cast carry off all the characters incredibly well. Very energetic, exuberant and hilarious. Would thoroughly recommend.
Katie Paterson:
The most fun I’ve ever had watching Twelfth Night. Expertly navigating the small space and the willing audience, Keane and Doyle rocket through characters, impressive verse speaking and hilarious characters, telling the story with wit and flair and a surprising amount of heart. Absolutely unmissable, and a treat for everyone whether they’ve seen the ‘unabridged’ version or not.
Debbie Cannon:
A simply wonderful, joyous hour. It takes real skill and talent (and energy) to make an hour of hilarious apparent chaos work, and these two performers have those in bucket-loads, holding everything lightly but tightly together. They take great care of their audience too, even while they’re carrying us along on their rollercoaster ride. I doff my pirate hat to them - they’re brilliant!
Everyone in the audience was beaming with delight within minutes of the show starting. This is perfect Fringe theatre - go see!
Joseph Ryan:
Nimble, adroit, heartening, and supremely inviting. The original play is well-rendered, whilst the performers' diligent pains to do so in no way dilute their own quirky verve. A simply lovely show.
Giles Clifford:
Fantastic show - performers who just know instinctively how to use those words to create true comedy without losing their beauty. Hectic and mad and a treat to see. Do go to see it.
Chelsey-leigh Sutton:
Brilliant. Witty. Smart and funny! I absolutely loved every minuet of this Shakespearean classic with a twist. Fantastic comedy duo!
Max Silver:
These two performers are top class entertainers and comedians! If you are reading this whatever you do watch this show, you will regret not seeing this hilarious and joyful multi-roling extravaganza! I was in stitches from start to end and that is a very rare thing! Best show of the fringe so far.
Holly Fairall:
Absolutely LOVED! Fantastic performers, best show I have seen at the Fringe this year!
Joshua Kelly:
Absolutely fantastic, I thought I was going to disrupt the show from laughing too hard!
Brightside Comedy:
These two are seriously hilarious, so much so that at one point our director was reduced to tears. One of the most enjoyable experiences we've had as a company this year at the fringe!
Helen:
Found this show by chance & was really impressed. The performers are really talented & funny. A quick reminder of the plot/characters in twelfth night would help appreciate the feat of 2 people playing all the major roles with the exception of the ones the audience help out with.
The snug is tiny & gets quite warm but we got fans as part of the participation. Great if you're got kids keen to participate. Amazing value at £5!
Emily Carding:
Such a delight! A joyful show performed by two talented players, a real gem of a performance ️
Finn Longman:
An impressive two-performer rendition of Twelfth Night with clever use of costumes and audience participation to fill in the gaps. Yeah, it's heavier on the 'comedy' side of things, but it was more Shakespearean than I expected -- a lot more of the original dialogue survived than you might think. I suspect if I didn't know Twelfth Night so well, I might have struggled a little more to follow it, but it was very entertaining nonetheless.
Debbie Bird:
An outstanding piece. Funny, participatory, heart warming and endearing. I laughed, I got involved, I wanted them to be able to play all the roles. And Jacob the tech stole the show!
Joe Janes:
Wow! High energy, inventive, fun, and very, very funny! Shakespeare shredded by a clown Cuisineart!