AND IT’S GOODNIGHT FROM HIM

AND IT’S GOODNIGHT FROM HIM...A History of Great British Comedy Double ActsBy Quentin RhodesFROM MUSIC HALL STAGES AND CRACKLING RADIO SETS to television screens and streaming platforms, the British comedy double act has been a cornerstone of entertainment for more than a century.In And It’s Goodnight From Him..., Quentin Rhodes traces the remarkable story of Britain’s greatest comedy partnerships, exploring how two performers together often achieved far more than either could alone. Along the way, he uncovers the origins, successes, rivalries and occasional fallouts that shaped some of the most beloved acts in comedy history.From the pioneering radio stars Arthur Askey and Richard Murdoch, through the golden age of Morecambe and Wise, The Two Ronnies and Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, to modern favourites such as French and Saunders, Mitchell and Webb, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, and many others, this book celebrates the performers who made Britain laugh.Packed with fascinating anecdotes, behind-the-scenes stories and biographical insights, And It’s Goodnight From Him... examines how the comedy double act evolved through changing tastes and technologies while remaining one of the most enduring forms of popular entertainment.Whether exchanging razor-sharp one-liners, playing the eternal straight man and comic foil, or reinventing the format for a new generation, these partnerships helped define British humour and left an indelible mark on the nation’s cultural life.Warm, nostalgic and thoroughly entertaining, this is the story of the duos who proved that sometimes two heads really are funnier than one.