Two - Footlights Theatre, Salford.

Jim Cartwright’s Two is a firm favourite with drama and acting schools due to its variety of monologues and duologues. Essentially that’s what it is, a collection of characters enter a pub in the north of England and each has their own story to tell in this two-hander play.

In this production by Yard Brush Theatre Company, all characters are played by Dave Jordan and Jacqui Padden. What’s unique about this production is that it’s all about the actors and the script, there’s no gimmicks on offer here. We meet all sorts of characters on this night - 14 to be the precise! Not only do we meet the landlord and landlady of the pub, when it happens to be the anniversary of their son’s death on the night in question .We also meet a man who will flirt with any woman behind his airhead scouse girlfriend, the old woman who loves shopping and has to spend her days looking after her husband who’s health is quickly failing, and many others. The only slight issue is that once the character has told their story we move on to the next character, so it’s hard to evaluate the piece as a whole.

There is a good mixture of drama and comedy which shows the versatility of the actors. At its height we witness a husband abusing his wife because she spent too long in the toilets, but we also see a lovely ageing couple who joke about getting old and fat together. For this production to work it requires an intimate setting, which is what Footlight Theatre provided. As the characters come and go very quick it’s important that the actors can build a rapport with the audience, which wouldn’t work in a large theatre. The set is very basic in nature, it simply consists of the bar and a few tables in the pub. All props are mimed, which isn’t a problem as it’s always clear what is happening. There’s also an imaginary jukebox in the corner. It would be very easy for Two to teeter into a series of monologues and duologues. Therefore, it’s important that the actors are convincing. That’s what we get in Jordan and Padden. The pair also deserve a mention for changing outfits numerous times in the space of an hour. Jordan had the audience in stitches with his little boy character.

Reviewer -  Eddie Walsh
on: 4/7/18