Studio Three, Special Plug-In:Two

Two by ArtsGroupie, 1st and 2nd March 2024 at the Arts Bar Hope Street and 3rd, March 2024 at The Kings Arms, Salford

The brilliantly creative Artsgroupie Team is poised to release their explosive version of ‘Two’ written by Jim Cartwright. John Maguire, Margaret Connell and Samantha Alton are back after a bumper-packed five years of projects. John Maguire told us: ‘We wanted a production that allowed all three of us to work collectively in a rehearsal room. Samantha and I have done lots of street theatre but never shared the stage and we have both worked individually with Margaret, Sam with Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse and I with A Portrait of William Roscoe, which is back in June 2024 at Halewood Culture Fest and The Athenaeum. t’s been a real treat to start the year on this creative collaboration.’

 The drama is set behind the bar of a typical northern pub, the Landlord and Landlady are a husband and wife team constantly at each other's throats. We meet a kaleidoscope of regulars who all frequent their local. The bickering couple feud behind the bar whilst trying to keep everyone in high spirits. A nightly melody of madness, melancholia and merriment. But when a little boy is left behind by his father, a fragile reconciliation occurs as their own dark tragedy is revealed.

John described the play’s themes as ‘a cocktail of Northern life served in a tall glass of theatricality’. Michael Billington described the production in The Guardian – ‘“A sharp, salty quickfire evocation of the surface gaiety and underlying melancholia of pub life.”

First performed in 1989 at the Octagon Theatre Bolton, performed by two actors playing all 14 characters, each vignette skillfully combines pathos and humour. The play takes audiences into the world of one working-class pub over the course of one night. It weaves together rich poignant stories full of human emotion, the dark comedy aspect gives an intimate insight into a variety of characters who bring their dramas and stories onto the premises.

The production has not come without its challenges as the cast members were all hit with the dreaded lurgy after a festive break which featured Ghost Stories For Xmas and back-to-back projects. John also explained: ‘It is quite challenging as we play all the characters in the pub and have been experimenting with characterisation, timings, etc, making sure everything works. It has been immense fun playing in the rehearsal room, and we have had lots of laughs. As we have all worked together for over five years now, the synergy, respect and camaraderie we have has really helped. It has been great to spend time in the space with Margaret and Sam, such amazing people and fierce talents’.

For audiences, they get both educated and entertained and feel like they are in a real life pub.

ArtsGroupie goes from one creative project to the next. After this production they are focusing on community workshops and walking tours till June.  A Portrait of William Roscoe returns, playing at Culture Fest Halewood, The Athenaeum and other dates to be confirmed. They are working on a new Witch play called The Hammer and Helena written by David Griffiths in October, The Signalman and Ghost Stories for Xmas are back in November and December.

For more information, anyone can  sign up for a monthly newsletter which tells you all the FREE workshops and what else is happening with ArtsGroupie  - https://www.artsgroupie.org/

Covered by, Bob Towers