JIM Cartwright’s early dark comedy Two might have been set in the 1980s but its characters and themes are timeless and universal. Cartwright is one of the north of England’s most celebrated living playwrights, and his writing perfectly captures snapshots of ordinary lives.
The title Two has a double meaning, in that it refers both to the two performers who play all fourteen of the roles on stage and to the different states of coupledom that they find themselves in.
Central to the piece are the husband and wife duo who are our hosts for the evening, the licensees of a stereotypical working class northern pub. We have all met them and are familiar with the air of bonhomie that they exude, which thinly veils an abrasive relationship lying beneath a surface that you don’t need to scratch hard to reveal its cracks.
Through the course of the play one or other of them periodically disappears into the cellar or out to collect glasses, only to re-emerge in the guise of one of the boozers’ regulars. All of these regulars are part of a couple in one way or another, although some appear in pairs and others on their own. As with the proprietors, we can recognise all these drinkers too. Every town and village in England must have one of each of these individuals, some lovable, some irascible, some lonely, all with their stories to tell, although many of them just allow us hints of what’s behind their public persona.
The greatest charm of Cartwright’s writing is the way it disguises everything with a veneer of humour, disarming us so that, when the flashes of pathos and personal tragedy reveal themselves, it has the power to stop us in our tracks. In particular this is the case with the landlord and landlady’s relationship, which appears to be a focus for our laughter, but conceals a deep sadness that has haunted them for years.
Samatha Alton and John Maguire play all the parts here, and both succeed in achieving just the right measure of humour and caricature for each of the characters they inhabit. There is a slight element of tongue-in-cheek with every one of them as they first appear, but just enough to give us chance to see them each as a recognisable trope, before tripping us up with a more rounded individual hidden within.
This production is presented by ArtsGroupie CIC, who audiences will be familiar with from their popular walking tours and shows about Kitty Wilkinson and William Roscoe, among others. Margaret Connell directs with her characteristically deft touch, pacing the show with precision and letting the often poetic and almost musical rhythm of Cartwright’s text find its natural flow.
Simply staged in an actual bar setting, this run plays just three performances, two in Studio 3 at Hope Street’s Arts Bar, and one at the Kings Arms in Salford, but the company are planning a longer touring run of the show later in the year, so keep an eye on their website and socials for further dates coming soon:
https://www.facebook.com/ArtsGroupieCIC
Star rating: 4 stars
Review by Nigel Smith
