Incognito Theatre Brings THE NET KILL to VAULT Festival and New Film TWO IS A CROWD Online

The world was very different the last time Incognito Theatre were at The Vaults. It was 2020, and they were ahead of the game with their own version of All Quiet on the Western Front, a sharp critique of the business of war.

Edward Berger's homonymous Academy Award nominee might be cleaning up this award season, but Incognito's take was far more interesting in terms of originality. The company's own brand of physical theatre mixes languages and styles in a sophisticated cocktail of movement and scripted text that produce scrumptious subtext.

Since the cusp of the pandemic, the founder and artistic director of the company, Angus Castle-Doughty has been busy. He might be bringing their new production, The Net Kill, underground, but theatre hasn't been the only focus of Castle-Doughty's post-Covid life. A feature on the uber-successful first season of Shadow and Bone in 2021 was the start of a fortunate series of events. Two years later and a spot in the Hollyoaks cast, the script that came from a lucky platonic meet-cute on the set of the Netflix hit has finally seen the light of day in the form of a short-film-slash-pilot.

Castle-Doughty met Andy Burse during the audition process for Shadow and Bone. They clicked instantly and their friendship blossomed in Budapest against the backdrop of the humongous project and its intimidatingly sky-high stakes. They eased their tension through laughter, and their on-set improv was woven into the show. The pair realised that their synergy had potential. Two Is A Crowd was born from the number of weird auditions that made up their common ground.

The premise is simple: Henry Bruce and Finlay Knight meet at a casting and instantly despise one another. While the panel is unimpressed by them individually, they ask to see them as a double act. They adore their cat-and-dog chemistry and the duo is forced to get along if they want the role. It's Submissions Only with a Vicious humour. From humiliating survival jobs to drama school snobbery, it's a playful snapshot of the quirks of the trade. While absolutely hilarious from beginning to end, it side-eyes a certain type of creatives in a riotous, well-crafted comedy with wit that will tickle industry professionals and the general public alike.

The Net Kill promises the same amount of laughter with its unfortunate team of badminton players. Set in the late Victorian era, a group of five friends is sent to investigate the suspicious death of the Duke of Gloucester, the inventor of badminton, who's been mauled by a beast. It sounds quick and silly, something that only Incognito could pull off through movement work. Originally planned for last year's Festival (which was cancelled), it debuted in Brighton in the summer and is now ready to score again.

You can watch Two Is A Crowd here and get tickets for The Net Kill here.

VAULT Festival has been left without a venue for next year. You can contribute to the #SaveVAULT campaign here.

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