All Saints’ Dramatic Society 
Kinson Community Centre, Bournemouth
Suzanne Viney
14 August 2026
When The Guardian described Two as an exploration of “the surface gaiety and underlying melancholia of English pub life”, they hit the nail squarely on the head! To describe it as a “dark comedy” oversimplifies the layers of emotion presented by these multifaceted characters. This play, despite being set in a Northern pub at the end of the 1980s, transcends time and place: it is a play about being human and interacting with other humans.
Originally intended as a play for two actors playing multiple roles (hence the title), the addition of “a few” (13 actors playing the 14 parts) does not detract from the overall tone of humour and desperation experienced by the pub’s regulars. Two is still an appropriate title, since Cartwright explores the complex relationships of being part of a well-established couple. Director Carol Gariano does a good job of highlighting the subtleties of the relationships between the various duos.
The play is held together by tension-ridden relationship between the Landlord and the Landlady (James Riley and Mary Almeida). They begin the action engagingly, repeatedly breaking the fourth wall and drawing the audience into the hectic atmosphere of the lounge bar. Outwardly, they are gregarious but, when there are fewer customers to serve, the cracks in their marriage become glaringly obvious. Both actors perform convincingly to convey the juxtaposition of joviality and apparent hatred that exists behind the bar. The ending is a tour de force; to say any more would be to give too much away.
The behind-the-bar fireworks are interspersed by a range of customers who chronicle their own flawed relationships. I particularly enjoyed the duologue between the flamboyant punk-rocker, Mrs Iger (Georgie Drake), and her timid skin-head husband (Gareth Dunning), who was afraid to fight his way to the bar! Drake demonstrated great versatility by later playing the tormented Lesley, a victim of coercive control at the hands of her deplorable husband, Roy (Alan Lodge, who successfully makes his character the most dislikable of the evening). Mark Richards and Maria Hood, as Moth and Maudie, add a great deal of humour to the evening, as do Derek Smith and Rachel Huntley with their portrayals of Fred and Alice (I shall not forget the Palamino man in a hurry). Hilary Edge, Richard Castro-Parker and Anne Lodge give strong performance in their monologues as Old Woman, Old man and Woman respectively; they all create the impression that it’s difficult to live with people, but equally difficult to be without them. Pandora Drake as the Girl demonstrated some excellent stage presence and added to the pathos of the production.
As I watched the action unfold, it occurred to me that this play reminded me of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood, in the way that it strips away the veneer of social nicety and shines a light onto human behaviour. During the interval, my friend remarked that it was like, “Talking Heads in a pub.” If I’m honest, I think we were both right…and that’s not a bad thing!
Two runs until Sunday 16th August at Kinson Community Centre. Apparently, this is a new venue for ASDS. There is plenty of free parking, a small bar and a nice auditorium and stage. The overall ambience was very welcoming, with live piano and a pub-style sing-along (you don’t have to join in) at the beginning. It’s a great play and the cast and crew coped admirably with all the Government Alerts that went off randomly, despite everyone’s phones being on silent!
Why not get yourself a ticket?
