Review: 'Two 2' is a 10/10

Shaw’s Playhouse2 is currently host to Jim Cartwright’s ‘Two 2’ – almost 10 years on from the production of ‘Two’.

If you are unaware of Playhouse2, this is your notice! Being very familiar with the Playhouse myself, I know the standard of plays is exceptional to begin with, and the plays that are produced never fall short of fantastic; however, this one right here may be the most professional and notably perfect play to date.

‘Two 2’ follows the life of a landlord and landlady of a struggling pub, finding themselves trying to hold it together while dealing with life choices and pushing each other away. Alongside this, we see storylines to cover every emotion, making you laugh and cry but also engaging in every single moment. And if you are not familiar with this particular play, all this is performed by only 2 ACTORS.

The production team at Playhouse2 is almost like a well-oiled machine, with everyone striving for the same elite product – the captain of the ship this time round, Clare Bennett. Clare had a perfect vision for this play. The set was perfect and was everything it needed to be, with a real pub feel as well as being so practical for the number of things happening. This show also had a very touching video start, which I was not expecting but was very welcome. As well as the perfect cast and set, there was an excellent element of audience participation that was not missed by Bennett and brought the audience into what is, without a doubt, the most professional thing on an amateur stage. A beautifully directed piece – Hats off to Clare.

Now onto the two actors – the stars, if you will.

Multi-rolling in any capacity is difficult. But to play every part with only two of you would be a challenge for any seasoned actor, but not for these two. Kevin Whalen and Rachel Harrison were nothing short of perfect! Every character was different and so enjoyable to be a part of.

Kevin Whalen found every level. The desperation of a landlord not wanting to fail, the coldness to a failing marriage (Or so we thought), the humour of a not-so-great chef and an ever-flamboyant drag queen from a neighbouring bar. The range on display just from those parts alone would be enough to make anyone stand and applaud, but it didn’t stop there. The audience interaction is Mr.Whalen’s forte, and he made an excellent karaoke host – I did not, however, imagine it would be me doing the karaoke, but since the show was great, I will let him off! His version of a quiz master was excellent, but the one that really shone was the Karate instructor. This play has so much humour and enjoyment that it can sometimes be missed if something has to come right down to a moment of seriousness and importance, but Kevin gave us a beautiful moment. There was so much poise, power and importance to that particular part that I hung on every word. An aspect that deserved the round of applause it got and more. A fantastic performance.

Then we have the wonderful Rachel Harrison. Rachel’s dynamic range in the play is truly remarkable. The staple is the portrayal of a struggling landlady – does she stay? Does she go? Everything was there, and the audience felt her struggle with every word. It was amazing to see the switch to all the other characters she played, also. The humour and in some cases, the outrageousness, and then straight back to that struggle without missing a single beat – Excellent! A personal favourite was the skill on show during ‘speed dating’. 3 parts in the space of 3 minutes, and every single one of them was so defined and so incredibly enjoyable to watch. The comedy timing of those three parts is everything, and the decisions were perfect. The ‘easy’ first contestant was hilariously over the top but exactly right, the nervous and shy ‘perfect fit’ and then a very bold and non-feminine outdoor woman. Real belly laughing stuff. I would like to point out the nature of Harrison’s performance at the end also. The re-entry on conclusion had a perfect stillness to it, and was such a beautiful moment, and I must admit it got me right in the feelings!

These two are superstars! Real hotshots on the stage and if you were to take this production and slam it on a professional stage – everyone would pay the money, that’s just how good this is. A massive congratulations to all involved.

This play is not to be missed!

‘Two 2’ is on stage until Saturday 14^th at Playhouse2, Shaw and tickets are available on:

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/playhouse2/two-2-by-jim-cartwright/e-lkpqyj

Or alternatively, you can head into ‘It’s a Shaw Thing’ 35 Market St, Shaw, Oldham OL2 8NR