This blog post was written for East Midlands Theatre
It feels oddly appropriate that Longpig’s original tour of Jim Cartwright’s “Two”, set in a pub and focused on the comings and goings of the regulars, was cut short in 2020 by a pandemic that also closed pubs across the country. But thankfully, Longpig are finally back and so is their excellent production – touring pubs across the East Midlands with plans to venture further afield.
Starring Sylvia Robson and Gary Keane, the play sees the two actors bring to life a multitude of characters on a standard night in a local boozer, whilst their feisty landlady and headstrong landlord provide an over-arching plot that culminates in a thrilling conclusion. Other punters are left to the imagination, with Robson and Keane having half-heard conversations with invisible customers, making the pub feel busy and alive. At moments, Keane even addresses members of the audience, particularly as lively barfly Moth, who takes every opportunity he can to flirt with the women on the front row – until he is caught by his partner Maude, that is!
The play is incredibly funny at moments, including Mr and Mrs Iger, who are quiet, reserved individuals with many secrets that are probably better off unknown! The set-up for this scene is hilarious, with Robson’s Mrs Iger describing her ideal man. However, when her husband (Keane) arrives, he is clearly the opposite of her description! Keane’s attempts to get served at the bar also drew plenty of laughs from the audience.
Despite this, there are plenty of more serious scenes as well. One of the standout moments for me involves Lesley, who is in an abusive relationship with Roy. The scene makes for a difficult yet captivating watch, as Keane makes both sides of Roy’s personality very clear – the friendly, calm front that he wants to portray for the other pub regulars, and the dangerous side that he displays towards his wife as he accuses her of looking at other men. When Lesley (Robson) finally stands up to her husband, it feels like a punch-the-air moment, but the feeling is short-lived, and the ending is not quite so fairytale.
There is perhaps a little over-reliance on different costumes and accents – the actors’ superb characterisation means that it is immediately obvious that they are portraying someone different without the need for the extra window-dressing, but the costumes add to the fun, particularly Alice’s big glasses and Fred’s big coat. These two characters lovingly swap insults between themselves whilst commenting on the TV, feeling like a scene straight from Gogglebox, and providing nice light-relief after some of the darker previous scenes.
Many of the characters appear on their own, sharing monologues with the audience to give an insight into their lives. One particularly moving moment sees Keane take on the character of a man mourning his friend – especially poignant considering that the performance at The Poppy and Pint in Lady Bay is dedicated to Robbie Robb, a friend of the company, raising money in his memory for Prostate Cancer UK.
This is a great, fun-filled production from two incredibly talented actors, who manage to strike the delicate balance between drama and comedy perfectly. The set is simple and perfect for a touring production – so let’s hope that Longpig continue their pub crawl and treat more audiences to this fantastic show.
Tom Morley, May 2024
Check out my review of Longpig’s 2020 production here
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