Double Act – Project Arts Centre, Dublin

Directors: Millie Daniel-Dempsey and Amy Robyn Lyster

Dramaturgy: Libby Seward

For a few nights only Project Arts Centre is home to the genius of Honey & Lemon’s Double Act; an exploration of female duos from the performing world through song and dance. That’s a neat little way to summarise this piece but it doesn’t do it much justice – the show is mesmerising, the performance is spectacular, and the tone shifts and changes with a speed that approaches the border of jarring. It is certainly something to behold.

Millie Daniel-Dempsey and Amy Robyn Lyster are the co-directors of Honey & Lemon and of the piece itself; a pair of extremely talented multi-disciplinary entertainers, who are currently dancers in residence at the Civic Theatre in Tallaght, and whose 12-year friendship is the star of Double Act. While the piece certainly showcases that they are both individually very accomplished dancers and entertainers, it’s the way that they move together that is so enthralling; they are perfectly in sync for much of the piece, and when they step out of that they are perfectly out of sync as well. The comedy is pitched just right, with plenty of laugh out loud moments, great use of props and some gentle audience participation only add to the feeling of farce.

Jen Aust makes great use of the space downstairs in the Project, with a visually interesting set and the performance coming all the way to the audience’s feet at times. The lighting and sound design (Kevin Murphy and Aoife Kavanagh respectively) are big parts of this performance, both are pivotal to tone shifts and are executed seamlessly, with the use of different types of lighting around the stage really creating some depth and grandeur at times. The costuming from Toni Bailey deserves a moment of its own as well – the contrasting sequined jumpsuits are perfection here, sparkling and understated all at once.

At 45 minutes only it is certainly a “whistle stop tour” as described, but it covers a lot, highlights include the nods to Thelma and Louise and to French and Saunders. It’s a true celebration of female duos in all their glory, from comedians to singers to acrobats and everything in between, but particularly of Honey & Lemon themselves – the laughs are wonderful, but it’s the moments of tenderness between them that remain with you as you walk along the cobblestones away from the Project. Catch it while you can.

Runs Until 20^th January 2023.