Following the recent lockdown announcement, Guildford Fringe Theatre Company has revised this week’s performance schedule for its professional production of Jim Cartwright’s, Two. The play will be performed live to socially distanced audiences at the Back Room of the Star Inn, Quarry Street, Guildford from Monday 2 – Wednesday 4 November at 8pm, with an additional 4pm Wednesday matinée (NB the only in-person tickets still available are for this new performance). The show will now be live streamed online from Thursday 5 – Saturday 7 November at 8pm. Book tickets at https://www.GuildfordFringe.com/events-archive/two-by-jim-cartwright/.
Director and Producer, Nick Wyschna, said: “Just when we thought we were going to be producing a week of live, in-person theatre, we received that news! I can’t lie, I’m gutted. This is probably the best play we’ve produced at Guildford Fringe. It’s certainly the best piece of theatre I have personally directed, I’m beaming with pride for it. Anyway, enough of the negative. On the positive side, we get to perform the show live in front of an audience for three days, which is better than nothing. And then we open the show up to the world by streaming it from Thursday until Saturday. My worst nightmare would be for no one to see this incredible show with these two actors who are just sublime and that is not happening, so all is well!”
Laurie Duncan and Claire Marlein will play the Landlord and Landlady, respectively. Two is directed and produced by Nick Wyschna for Guildford Fringe Theatre Company. The production comes hot on the heels of Guildford Fringe’s successful short tours of John Godber’s multi-role plays Teechers and Bouncers last year, as well as their recent online adult pantomime, Pinocchio Gets Wood.
First performed in 1989 at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton, Two follows the simple concept of two actors playing fourteen different characters between them. The action is set entirely in the local pub – in this case, The Back Room of The Star Inn of course! The Landlord and Landlady’s cheery greetings and friendly banter barely disguise their contempt for each other. Having met outside the pub when they were kids, they now own the place. During the course of the evening, assorted customers pass through and we are given a small snapshot into each of their lives. Two is storytelling at its best.
To book tickets for Two, visit https://www.GuildfordFringe.com/events-archive/two-by-jim-cartwright/ or call the Box Office on 01483 361101. Running time: approx. 1 hour (no interval). The venue will be operating at a reduced capacity to allow for social distancing measures, and face coverings will be mandatory. For full details of health and safety measures in place for the live shows, visit the Guildford Fringe website.
