The Doppel Gang Review - A Play by Dominic Hedges

The Doppel Gang is a highly rated production that is set in London during the Second World War, and features a group of conscription dodging theatre performers who pretend they are the American Marx Brothers. The comedy was written by Dominic Hedges and directed by Terence Mann, and is quite an apt nod to the Marx Brothers. It echoes some of that classic wartime humour, and gives it a new lease of life, on the stage. Another intriguing twist in the humour is that it not only reshapes 1940s comedy, but it also compares the British and American humour of the time.

Quick one liners, chaotic ensemble work and high energy slapstick performances are the key takeaways of The Doppel Gang. But beneath the comedy lies a very heartfelt and poginant struggle. Hedges creates a perfect balance of laughs and thought provoking debate, all while bringing that nostalgic tribute and timeless comedy.

The Doppel Gang Plot Synopsis

The play revolves around a lacklustre theatre troupe, which is fading into obscurity with outdated vaudeville routines. It is set in London, at the height of the Blitz, and between horrific air raids and devastating bombing, the acting trio are desperate to keep their act running, and avoid the looming conscription into the British armed forces. By a sliver of luck, the group come across a trove of unpublished Marx Brothers sketches.

This presents them with the perfect opportunity to bounce back and save the theatre. They adopt and learn the sketches, and decide to pretend to be the Marx Brothers. Their first play is held in front of an unappreciative and non interested audience, who are surprised by the ruse, and the act becomes an overnight success. Sensing the possibility to fully impersonate the Marx Brothers and thus avoid conscription entirely, the troupe carry on with their charade, and a series of chaotic and bumbling scenes follow suit.

It is really a charming tribute to the Marx Brothers, and a tasteful legacy piece that is designed to reel in new viewers and extend the Marx Brothers’ influence in comedy. For older audiences, or anyone familiar with the Marx Brothers, the Doppel Gang is an authentic tribute piece that is a must watch.

Themes in The Doppel Gang

Yet the Doppel Gang is not all light hearted jokes and easy on the eye slapstick comedy. It very much throws the audience into the war torn reality of Britons during the London Blitz, and shows how the humour lifted spirits even in the darkest hours. It is very much a testament to that wartime resilience in the UK, and how they carried on despite the devastating bombings and the very future seemed to hang in the balance.

There is also a personal element behind the play, as Hedges introduces a bunch of very real characters, who are hiding their insecurities and fears behind the mask of their exaggerated Marx Brothers personas. Hedges perfectly captures the London wartime mood, and creates authentic characters who need to escape the bleak realities and pressures, all while trying to create something lasting and uplifting for their audiences. The result is a masterful cross of comedy and drama.

Who the Doppel Gang is Ideal For

Anyone can enjoy The Doppel Gang, it does not have any in-jokes reserved for Marx Brothers experts, or any trivia that would have complete newcomers guessing. It is a lighthearted comedy that is highly infectious, with visual slapstick humour and one liners that catch the audience off guard. Of course, anyone who is familiar with Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Zeppo will revel in the excellent caricatures of these characters that Dominic Hedges has written into The Doppel Gang.

But it is not a must. The staging is a nod towards the chaos and havoc the Brothers created in their routines and sketches. It has the same kind of improvisational and quick witted nature, but then there are lighting and sound cues from the outside world, as the Blitz returns and the audience is immersed into wartime Britain. The Doppel Gang shows that laughter, even if it is borrowed or stolen, is still humorous in the most dramatic and darkest places.

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