Two’s Company is Gillian Duffy’s take on rekindled romance and finding new direction in later life, following 55-year-old Maureen as she navigates life after her second divorce. Played by Carolyn Calder, Maureen finds a new passion in setting up a dating agency to put to use her status as a hopeless romantic. This provides no end of comedy throughout the show, as messages from older singles flood in and Maureen herself is pursued. Maureen’s relationship with her endearingly cheeky mother, played by Una Ailsa Macnab, is the highlight of the show, so naturalistic and easily hilarious. Calder demonstrates brilliant emotional range and takes the show from light-hearted fun to touching vulnerability. Matt Costello as Michael, Maureen’s long-lost love, shows great sincerity and is wholly convincing in his role. His skill is further exemplified in his role as Ronnie, an eager customer of Two’s Company.
A feel-good, heartwarming watch
Whilst the relationships between the characters create a fantastic atmosphere onstage, the pace seems to drop as the play goes on. The dynamic between Maureen and her mother begins strong, but the execution of the jokes is sometimes lacking, and this means certain scenes feel dragged out. The pre-recorded voice messages from Maureen’s son and other characters sound strange, lacking the emotion the words suggest. However, other scenes are carried out excellently, such as the first Two’s Company meet up. Macnab and Costello sit in the audience whilst Calder reads out comedic usernames, having us laughing away throughout the scene. Macnab as the psychic is refreshingly comedic, and had me grinning at her ‘mystical’ advice; she is a ray of sunshine on the stage and remains a consistent source of comfort and happiness throughout. The storyline is a bit rough around the edges, and certain features feel too formulaic, detracting from the organic nature of the characters’ dynamics and emotional journeys.
Two’s Company is a feel-good, heart-warming watch which lift the spirits of its audience members.
