Two

Written in 1989, Jim Cartwright’s Two often crops up in England’s regional theatres. With its small cast (2) and one optional setting (the pub can be as present as your budget allows), the play is a blessing for cash-strapped companies everywhere. 

In this Ensemble showing, staged by Artistic Director Mark Kilmurry, the pub has been repositioned to 1989 Regional New South Wales with minimum changes, mainly to the names of brewers. Designer Alicia Clements gives us a solid bar, though nothing actually works, and the landlord and his lady spend their time delivering drinks and compliments to copious customers in mime only.

Married couple Kate Raison and Brian Meegan play the pair caught in this hated routine. Meanwhile, taking advantage of opportunities afforded by one or the other slipping off-stage, they also play scenes featuring the pub’s clients.

Here the loveless two have fun playing aspects of their characters. Meegan chats up the front row, so close at the Ensemble, in crowd-pleasing guise (‘Look at your eyes,’ says his wife, ‘they’re everywhere!’); Raison shivers and shakes her way through a speech of passion concerning her Big Butcher.

Many swift portraits follow, the best showing a jealous, angry husband with a quiet wife trapped in a loveless marriage. The Ensemble audience, usually quick to laugh, are here brought to close attention.

There is some excellent assistance from Sound Designer Neil McLean as he adds the sound of glasses breaking and television being turned on. 

The final scene brings the two to a resolution of their long-standing problem. The audience showed their appreciation.

Frank Hatherley

Photographer: Clare Hawley