For its inaugural production, young company Gilt and Grime brings to the stage a revival of the irresistibly funny Two , first written in 1989 by the award-winning playwright Jim Cartwrigt. With high ceilings, mirrored walls and sculptural art deco lighting, the Cobden Club 'Grand Hall' is not on a par with your typical northern England pub. And yet this is precisely what it is transformed into as this unusual play unfolds. The long cocktail bar becomes the main stage behind which the Landlord and his wife pull beers for customers and bicker outrageously between themselves. Seated amongst the audience we have the usual suspects that frequent any given 'local', and these too, by way of subtle scene and outfit changes, are played out by the same duo, Rory Feeney and Carol Harvey. Both demonstrate strong talent, and seem to shift seamlessly from one persona to the next. The characters conveyed - people eaten away by grief, sadness and loneliness - are often plagued by jealousy and chronic anxiety. Some are more likeable than others: the old lady fantasising about the butcher is funny and endearing, whilst sleazy, dishonest, greasy-haired Moth, and wife-beating Roy are repulsive examples of society's worst. By turns an accurate analysis of human psychology and an entertaining satire on English pub culture, the play is a treat. Cartwright, just as he did in his first play Road, captures something essential about Thatcherite Britain; and Two is still as striking twenty years on, as it was to critics when it was originally performed. Clever directorial decisions by Vicky Graham, and commendable performances by Feeney and Harvey, bring to life these wonderful, if sometimes sinister characters, such that we feel we are ourselves fellow punters in this northern public house, each with our own secrets to tell. Tension and humour are maintained until the end, when the final twist in the tale is revealed, which, if a little contrived, still comes as a shock. After lots of laughs, the audience greatly applauded the cast of two, and we left in a buzz, eager to pay a visit to the local.
Florence Mackenzie