REVIEW: Two Into One reminds us all of what we’ve missing

Two Into One
Until October 9
Mill at Sonning
0118 969 8000
Millatsonning.com

WELL, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? No, not being in a theatre (well, that too), but arranging a fling in a top London hotel.

OK, the latter might not be top of everyone’s post-lockdown list of things to do, but for cabinet minister Richard Willey, it certainly is.

Being a politician of very little brain but very much bravado, he’s taken his wife Pamela to the hotel while trying to get his secretary, George Pigden, to sort out the finer details. In the process, George inadvertently attracts the attention of Pamela and also Ted. Look, you have to be there.

Mill at Sonning — Steven Pinder and Delme Thomas during a hilarious scene from Two Into One Picture: Andreas Lambis

This is, of course, a farce from the pen of the master Ray Cooney.

It might seem simple on the surface, but Ray builds the tension – and the laughter – around a highly complex series of movements that keep the cat and the mice well away from each other until the final moments.

The entire play is set in The Westminster Hotel, both the lobby and two adjoining bedrooms. An ingenious set design allows the action to be transposed between the three venues seamlessly.

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The cast is headed up by Mark Curry as the government minister who starts off in complete control of the situation but rapidly unravels as he loses – in quick succession – his trousers, his chances and his marbles.

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When he comes on, he is slightly conceited, using formal body language and speech – quite a shock if you grew up watching Mark lark about on children’s television in the 1980s, but showing just how good an actor he is.

Trying to make the illicit encounter happen without a hitch is Steven Pinder as George. He means well, but he can’t do good for doing bad and manages to make every situation worse.

Mill at Sonning Two Into One — Carol Royle and Mark Curry are husband and wife in Two Into One Picture: Andreas Lambis

Steven’s reactions to the ensuing chaos around him are a joy to watch as he tries to keep everyone happy.

Knowing he’s on to a good thing is Arwel, a wily waiter, played with glee by Delme Thomas. He is mercurial, playing every moment to his advantage while affecting an air of innocence. He rightly gets some big laughs and is the only one who seems in control.

Harry Gostelow is the put-upon hotel manager. He plays him with the world-weariness of a Tony Hancock-type character with all the pompousness of Captain Mainwaring. It’s a fine line to tread, but he does so with aplomb.

Carol Royle’s Pamela is delightfully petulant, as she tried to get her wicked way. Her facial expressions as she realises romance is only coming from her husband are a delight.

There are strong performances from Daisy Steere as flingee Jennifer Bristow, Connor Hughes as Edward and Olivia Forrest as the receptionist, while Felicity Duncan’s back-to-basics Labour MP Lily Chatterton is a force of nature that you wouldn’t want to debate across the house of Commons.

While Two Into One has been performed since the 1980s, the show has some dialogue tweaks to keep it fresh and modern. But at the end of the day, the situation will never lose its relevancy.

Add in The Mill’s superb catering and you have a great night out, something we’ve been missing for 18 months.

This is one comedy you’ll want to check in to.