TWO

by Jim Cartwright

Players Theatre

 

This play is a brave choice because it is a two hander, and an ambitious one at that. The two “heroes” involved have numerous different characterisations to portray, all requiring different life-styles and emotions, not to mention the multitude of quick costume changes, some minimal but nevertheless vital, because, with each change, the actors have to assume a different personality.  This must be a fearsome challenge, because some changes are virtually instantaneous, while one’s partner “holds the fort” chatting to the audience, as if they were customers in the pub that the pair of them were running and, indeed, is the location of the play, whilst the other changes costume.

 

The whole action of the play takes place in this pub which our actors, Mary Ellis and Chris Billington, as landlady and landlord, are mine hosts.  They also play various characters who are all customers at various times – seven each.  In between the cameos, Mary and Chris return to their original characters, either individually or together and talk at, to, or even within the audience as if they were their unseen customers.  Throughout the action we are able to build up a fairly accurate picture of their relationship, their problems, the pressures they are under, the way they are coping with life and eventually their feelings for each other.  I don’t think that brief description does justice to what was required of these two actors in telling us this brilliantly written and visualised story, and just what they had to dig up and lay before us, from their experience, skill, versatility, memory and utter dedication.  We saw youth and age (one a school boy), loneliness and exuberance, passion and yearning, companionship and violence in words and action, drunkenness and sobriety, simple mindedness and eloquence, humour and nostalgia, and finally two people who believed they had come to the end and saw no future together, heart rending reconciliation by mutual expressions of love in a dramatic use of lighting.

 

The setting was minimalist with entrances and exits SL and SR.  US was a magnificent bar area with pretend spirits displayed behind, and bar pulls beneath the super palatial frontage.  A couple of tables were positioned SL and R with chairs. I appreciated the way our actors dodged about the imaginary customers when taking or delivering orders,

 

In a two-hander, actors know that when one finishes speaking it’s their turn, so knowledge of the vast amount of dialogue has really to be twofold, there being no one else to share it with.  By the same token, when talking to an audience, or somebody characteristically invisible, one is somewhat a storyteller.  Mary and Chris both mastered these techniques remarkably well and gave each other their many characterisations realism, truth, humour and believability.  Their skill, ability and experience saw them through well, and the essential understanding they had for each other, blended into the partnership that lit up the stage and communicated the whole panoply of emotions from humour through anger to eventual contentment, love and future hope for us all.  Such was the depth of the play and the interpretations by the actors that we could laugh with and at them, sympathise, be concerned for them, sorry for their situations, feel anger at one character’s treatment of his wife and in the end, realise we had been shown real life. And perhaps there was optimism for these unfortunates and all their problems.  A tall order but in Mary and Chris’s hands we had been made to think and we left the theatre fundamentality different from when we entered.

 

There were highlights, but in a short review like this there is no time or space to go into them all.  I lamented my age when Mary was looking for a man, but as she so vividly went into detail, I realised I would never have been eligible anyway.  She was, however, the most convincing eater of pretend crisps I have ever seen on stage, likewise Chris with his ale.  I will long remember his schoolboy looking for his Dad and the loving way Mary reassured him and, of course, the tender expressions of love at the end.  Tonight we witnessed two performances, so wide in scope, yet full of belief, integrity and commitment.  Well played indeed, Mary and Chris.

 

However, they couldn’t have done it on their own.  I feel David Ward master-minded this production.  Much thought and dedication must have been put in by him in rehearsal and production, imagination and creative directional skill shone out of this play.  Working with two actors, in many ways, is a unique experience.  Congratulations to anyone involved in this presentation. “We are such stuff as dreams are made on”.

 

Many thanks for your warm welcome and hospitality and to Anne for looking after us so well.