Words: Elodie Marriott 
Image: Jack Morris

5 stars 

Guitar they play, violin she/they, what more can I say? 

Marnina and Micah have a creeping feeling that their marriage is cursed. 2016 elections, LA fires, and insect infestations all conspire to ruin their big, but “lowkey and chill” day. Introduced as “the fun one” and “the other one”, this genderqueer musical comedy duo are charming. So charming, they could turn even the stoniest cynic into a Romeo-level romantic. Though, Couplet is less about a double suicide type of romance and more about the kind that ponder pandas’ bodily autonomy and Winnie the Pooh’s modesty together. 

Half the fun is watching how much they seem to genuinely enjoy the performance, enthusiastically leading up to the “one day where your family want to see you kiss.” The rest is derived from the witty and upbeat, though never saccharine, folk-pop songs. The set list includes a child-unfriendly kids tune about the current state of the world, and the catchy rock number ‘Is That Cute?’ about their identity as a couple. 

“Trapped” in a shipping crate turned performance space, the happy couplet warn us that queerness is contagious. After seeing this show, there’s a strong case to be made that joy is even more catching. 

Couplet: Honey Honey Moon Moon
Front Room at Assembly Rooms 
18:25 
20 – 24 Aug