Yous Two, Progress Theatre’s latest production, has two faces.
One is sweet, funny, and light-hearted, and the other is dark, angry, and intense.
The real triumph of the production is how easily it switches between them.
It deals primarily with the relationship between 15 year old Billie, empathetically played by Isabel Mayes, and her father, played by Jo-William Tanner, as their finances and social connections grow increasingly strained.
The dynamic between them, and how it shifts, sits as the focus at the centre of the play.
And it is this sense of shifting which is the production’s greatest strength.
It is to the credit of the whole cast that the play’s moments of humour, and more sombre, sometimes startling, scenes of violence or poignant conflict are seamlessly woven together.
Neither feel out of place in its proximity to the other, especially when focused on the father-daughter relationship.
And its moments of humour shine throughout, especially for its secondary cast, who manage to keep pace with the protagonists without over-shadowing them.
Billie’s friend, Rachel, played by Esme Redrup, is particularly well-observed and played with an airy ditziness which is neither over-played nor understated.
Redrup’s joyful portrayal wouldn’t feel out of place in something like BBC3’s Some Girls, from which the character has perhaps brought some inspiration.
Eli Finn Taryn plays Fudge, another of Billie’s school friends.
Fudge brings a likeable dynamism to the show, with more than a few stand-out moments.
All four of the cast maintain the punchy and realistic feel of Georgia Christou’s dialogue throughout..
The set contributes to this realism, with the functional bathroom setting eerily similar to my own Grandma’s, minus the avocado suite.
The running water used throughout the set side-steps any gimmicky wonder of how it was achieved.
Set designer Anthony Travis must be congratulated on his contribution to a sense of believable domesticity.
Despite its short runtime, just 45 minutes, the play doesn’t feel unduly brief, but the narrative is still given room to breathe with moments of quiet pause breaking up the punchier, pacier sections.
Overall, the production shows that all involved at the Progress Theatre are not only lovers of theatre, but embrace the challenges it can pose in production, and as such overcome them.
And with all the more joy and impact for it.
Yous Two is showing at Progress Theatre, The Mount, from Monday, March 28, to Saturday, April 2.
It will also be available to view online from Saturday, April 9, to Sunday, April 10.
Tickets are available at www.ticketsource.co.uk.
Please note that the production contains strong language and brief male nudity.
