Entering Corpus Playroom on Tuesday night, I immediately felt at home. Of course I did – I was met with the familiar sights and sounds of my local pub, complete with the beloved proprietors Kate Collins and Stanley Thomas, an impressive list of drinks available for purchase, and a sign on the bar asserting that “Beauty is in the eye of the beer-holder”. I knew exactly where I was, and thought I knew exactly what was in store for me.

My companion and I were met by a friendly smile and a few jokes by the pair behind the bar, who not only supplied us with an easy atmosphere to settle down in but also with a cheeky pint, which did not go unappreciated after a long day. Before the play even started, we were immersed in their world.

I will be honest; I did not expect much from Two, Jim Cartwright’s classic Northern comedy-drama centred around a husband and wife duo running their pub, putting up with all of their regular customers. I was certainly intrigued to see how Thomas and Collins would handle a grand total of fourteen characters between them. They had the task of recreating a microcosm of life in a typical town, capturing the small complexities of the individuals we all can recognise from our own local – this would be interesting. However, I expected nothing challenging. I expected little more than a heartwarming hour with a few laughs and perhaps a little poignancy thrown in for good measure. I have never been happier to have been proven wrong.

“Thomas and Collins show a consistency and strength of partnership rarely seen in student theatre”

Collins and Thomas provided both the laughs and poignancy and certainly warmed my heart. Thomas showed his versatility by deftly navigating the transition from elderly widower living through the memory of his late wife, to ultimate lad and womaniser (if only in his own mind) Moth, a character complete with the most spectacularly horrific purple satin tie this reviewer has ever seen. Collins likewise spanned a range of characters from the elderly care-giver to the “Other Woman”, via the utterly hilarious power-woman with a not-so-secret lust for “big men,” perfectly offset by Thomas as her weedy husband.

Such was the power of both performances. They were impressive individually, but together created something else entirely. Thomas and Collins show a consistency and strength of partnership rarely seen in student theatre, never mind on the first night. Their near-flawless costume transition and handling of minimal props gave the production a flexibility and smoothness, while avoiding the trap of this production losing its sense of place – they did not need much to achieve a lot. This was helped by the tech and sound design.

Although lighting could have been used more effectively throughout, the sound design was solid. Background pub-noises adapted to fit each vignette; rising at the arrival of a raucous stag party, fading away at moments of tension. Silence was used to great effect, if over-used at times, and may have been reserved slightly for the truly climactic moments.

“In this tiny pub, we see sadness, anger, joy, and a lot of humour. We see love, at its worst and best”

Geraint Owen’s directorial vision for Two was constant throughout, and his sensitive handling of issues of domestic abuse and marital strife was impressive. It was in these darker scenes that Two took me by surprise, transcending my expectations of little more than a lighthearted evening in the pub. Collins’ portrayal of domestic violence victim Lesley was painful to watch in its realism, and Thomas as her abuser, Roy, was equally difficult. The audience felt the adamance of Roy’s self-justification, observed his twisted and controlling logic, and I was not the only one in shock at the scene’s conclusion. These actors took on a demanding subject matter and executed it with suitable nuance, showing their considerable skill.

Review: In Extremis

But of course it was the pub landlord and landlady who held our hearts and our attention throughout. Collins shone in her role as landlady, her warmth spilling across the stage – she has a smile that could heal the sick. Thomas as the stubborn and reticent landlord was equally impressive. I won’t lie - the climax of the play, featuring just these two, left me a mascara-streaked mess. I was taken by surprise in the best and most overwhelming way. Tears were flowing at an equal rate to pints served. “Two” is an intimate and heartbreaking portrayal of humanity, with all its facets and flaws. In this tiny pub, we see sadness, anger, joy, and a lot of humour. We see love, at its worst and best