Kellie Shirley and Peter Caulfield will take on seven roles each as they present Jim Cartwright’s play in an immersive south-east London setting
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The name of Jim Carwright’s play, set for its latest revival at Greenwich Theatre, is Two.
But for the pair of actors tasked with telling its stories, it’s a bigger job than that.
Kellie Shirley and Peter Caulfield are taking on seven roles each at the venue as they lead audiences through a night in a working class boozer.
“We want them to feel like they’re actually in a pub, that it’s as real as possible,” said Peter.
“They will be meeting characters, not caricatures. Everybody watching will relate to somebody in the play.”
To assist in the illusion, the play will take place in the theatre’s bar with a capacity of around 50 seats and a production design that puts the audience right at the heart of the action.
“The show isn’t in a huge amphitheatre, so everyone who comes will be in the piece – they’re literally in the pub with us,” said Peter.
“Sat at tables, we’ll be talking to them – chatting away.
“It’s a small and intimate performance and, while it’s a cliché that every show on a stage is different, this will be that multiplied by 100.
“We’ll be pulling pints and smashing glasses.
“We might have hecklers because some of the characters are not particularly nice, so you could even see someone getting told to ‘do one’.”
walking into the pub
The show opens with Kellie and Peter in the roles of landlady and landlord of the pub and continues from there.
“We’ve arranged to practise at my local, the Blythe Hill Tavern in south-east London,” said Kellie.
“Terry, who runs it, does the best Guinness in London and we’ll be there in preparation because we’ll be pulling pints on the night.”
The actor, known for her portrayal of Carly Wicks in EastEnders among many other roles on stage and screen, is no stranger to Greenwich Theatre, having starred in its production of Parlour Song by Jez Butterworth earlier this year.
She said: “Artistic director James Haddrell asked me if I fancied doing Two and I was a bit scared at first but I really wanted to work with him as a director again.
“Living just up the road and working here is great because I have three kids and this gives me that balance.
“The main thing for me though was the writing.
“Jim Cartwright is a bit of a legend and the decision to stage it in a bar, done up as a 1980s pub, makes it an immersive show – it hasn’t been presented like that before.”
Cartwright – known for The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice and Road – wrote Two at a time when pubs were still the social and cultural heart of Britain before long term decline set in from the late 1980s.
Audiences at Greenwich Theatre’s show are invited to step back in time by taking a seat at the Clock And Compass, buy a pint and play pub games before the show takes over.
audiences will literally be in the pub for Two
“The play starts behind the bar with the landlord and landlady, but other characters will be sitting at tables with the audience,” said Peter.
“The play is about a variety of different couples. Each character has a story that’s connected to somebody else – that’s why it’s called Two – whether they’re dead or alive.
“It could be a difficult relationship or a co-dependent relationship, and each one is different and complex.
“For us, the costume changes are really quick, but the way Jim has written it means there are little fillers to allow characters just enough time to do a quick change and then go straight back in.
“It’s a marathon but it’s going to be really great fun – it’s a show I’d really like to see.”
Audiences can expect to meet the likes of an old woman whose only respite from caring for her bed-bound husband is a nightly drink at the pub as well as Maudie and her philandering boyfriend Moth, who can’t resist chatting up everyone else in sight when the Clock And Compass opens its doors.
It’s apt, perhaps, that Greenwich Theatre is staging Two in this fashion – a celebration of spaces that bring people together in one that has long served as an inspiration for those who visit.
Kellie herself said it was going to pantos in theatres that first drew her to become an actor.
the power of panto
She said: “Watching those shows at Christmas was the catalyst. I couldn’t believe you could get paid for performing on stage.
“I went to the Brit School in Croydon and then became a jobbing actor, building things up, doing TV and getting to know people.
“Peter and I have been friends ever since we worked at the National Theatre together.”
Peter, known for stage roles at the Almeida and the Old Vic, also took to performing from a young age.
He said: “As a kid I was part of the choir at my school and, when I was eight, I was given the solo at a Christmas carol service.
“All eyes were on me and I got that taste for performance.
“It was an amazing feeling and I just wanted to keep doing it.
“I was in the chorus of Oliver when it came to Nottingham and then did all kinds of plays aged 12-17 before moving to London.
“I think Kellie and I have both been lucky doing lots of different things – TV, musicals and plays.
“Personally, I would rather do a challenging show than one that pays really well but where I’m just in the background.
“So when Kellie came to me with this I thought: ‘Wow, this is the biggest challenge’, because the characters I play are aged eight to 80, which is insane.”
key details: Two at Greenwich Theatre
Two is set to run at Greenwich Theatre for four weeks from August 21-September 12, 2025.
Performance times vary during the run and tickets cost £24, which includes a drink.
>> For selected dates during its revival of Two, Greenwich Theatre has partnered up with Greenwich Gin to offer audiences tutored tastings.
Taking place on Wednesday nights during the run, the add-on includes a welcome G&T, a short talk on the history of the spirit and a guided sampling of four award-winning gins.
The Greenwich Gin masterclass experiences, which should be booked via the venue’s website cost £37.50 – £13.50 on top of a standard ticket to the show.
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