Couplet are Marnina Schon and Micah O’Konis, a married queer couple who love to play music together. The LA-based musicians mix autobiographical storytelling with a keen sense of whimsy to produce something that is both delightful and real. They also both pass the ‘very nerdy, very geeky’ vibe check, and are skilled at making you laugh. Their new show Folk, Marry, Kill is about folk music, marriage and death. It’s also very funny.
The central gag that the show hangs on is a game in which the audience is asked to select three people and then decide who on the list they’d like to spend a short night of passion with, or have a long relationship with. Or just dispose of. You know the game; its full name is also (sort of) the name of the show. It’s a simple bit of fun, but it underscores the main narrative which is all about how couples face the world together.
Schon and O’Knonis may love each other very much, but they’re also very different people with different anxieties, experiences, victories and attitudes to fundamental things like sex and death. The genius behind Folk, Marry, Kill is that Couplet harness their natural differences to create comic tension in a way that feels very natural and calm. This is the charm of the show; two people with a lot of common ground who unite through song and humour.
Music-wise, this show is very similar to their previous show, Honey Honey Moon Moon. Shorter versions of songs from that show are present, but they are plenty of new songs here. Their style is consistent throughout and extremely pleasing. The pair of them love playing music, and that makes it very easy to listen to. Charming, honest and rather lovely.
You can book tickets for the Edinburgh Fringe show here and learn more about future shows here.
