Two
By Jim Cartwright
Directed by Crispin Taylor
With Julie Hudspeth and Daniel Mitchell
Ensemble Theatre, Kirribilli, Sydney, until March 28.
Review by Allen Myers
The "two" of Jim Cartwright's play are the couples whose stories can be viewed in a single night in the public bar of a hotel in the north of England. That's couples in a broad sense: sometimes only one of a pair is on stage, and in one case the two are a woman and a small boy whose father has forgotten him outside the pub.
All of the characters are played by Julie Hudspeth and Daniel Mitchell. This requires — and gets — masterful acting and precise direction. Hudspeth and Mitchell provide a real tour de force, switching between characters with seeming effortlessness and complete believability.
This structure necessarily rules out any interaction between the different couples. Jim Cartwright's script can therefore focus on the essence of each twosome, but runs the constant danger of deteriorating into a mere series of vignettes rather than a cohesive drama.
Continuity in character and dramatic development is provided by the husband and wife publicans. In these characters, Hudspeth's and Mitchell's performances really shine as they interact with each other and the pub's invisible patrons.
But in handling this central relationship of the play, it seems to me, Cartwright lets it develop too slowly. This both weakens the continuity and produces an overwrought final scene that has to accomplish too much.
However, the strengths of the production rise well above this weakness. The individual scenes combine pathos and comedy thanks to well-honed dialogue and outstanding performances.
Two is the second play in the Ensemble's 1998 subscription season. For information on season tickets, ring 9929 8877 or visit the theatre's web page at