Review: TWO ROUNDS, Jermyn Street Theatre
Photo credit: Giulia Delprato
Originally Due Partite, Two Rounds was translated and adapted for UK audiences after huge success in Italy. Now finalising its all-too-fleeting run at London’s Jermyn Street Theatre, the production opens on a group of four women, all quite different but joined in a deep and special bond of lifelong friendship; the innocent, the scorned, the bold, and the prim and proper lady of the house.
We join them on one particular Thursday night in the 1960s, one like any other of their weekly card games, on the border between tradition and ritual, defined by their struggles, feeling all of life’s feelings, flitting and floating between reflective and fun before, quite literally flipping the script, in more ways than one.
The mood and characters of the play are established really well with brilliant use of costume, set, lighting and especially music. Evelien Van Camp’s costume design does an amazing job of encapsulating big, stereotypical personalities while simultaneously demonstrating the time of the show. It is like the multitudes of a woman separated into separate entities; the sweetness, the love, the ambition, and the societal expectations we so often say we’re running from but in many ways have undoubtably left their mark. In this way and so many more, this show features the perfect characters and drama for the optimal theatrical experience.
Han Sayles’ lighting makes for a wonderfully atmospheric show, indescribable but incredibly effective, reflecting the warmth of that special kind of friendship, capturing picturesque moments, emphasising the depth and value of memories unlocked. The sound design by Hattie North goes above and beyond to set a beautiful pace and feel to proceedings, creating unseen worlds, demanding us to feel and rivalling cinematic ventures.
The conversational nature of the show and the multiple epic monologues of honest human emotion it stages has the feeling of a classic, of a theatre experience getting all too rare, warm, soft but powerful and captivating. The moment right before someone bursts into song. That’s the feeling that consistently radiates from that stage. There is a melody and rhythm to the way the words dance between the women on stage. What is achieved can only be compared to the passion, creativity and truth of spoken word performance.
Despite what the concept of the play might suggest, this show is anything but a play of two halves. The expert structure of the production finds a simple, palatable way of demonstrating the time jump, free of rambling exposition or waivering characterisation that could have threatened believability. Rather, the audience are treated like adults, upholding the mature themes and essence of Two Rounds, and the production is all the better for it.
As the production progresses, it becomes apparent that there is no clear lead amongst this incredible cast; each of them showcasing brilliantly thoughtful delivery and extraordinary capabilities for transformation. Daria Mazzocchio absolutely captivates as Beatrice/Giulia. It’s hard to believe as she steps forward for her bow, wiping away the tears resting on her cheeks, glistening remnants of the fear and grief she manages to conjure up and magic away so effortlessly, that this is her London stage debut. Natalie Cutler shows a clear aptitude for comedy as Claudia/Cecilia, with effortless timing and physicality. Saria Steyl excels in her emotional performance, maintaining a still, serene feel in Sofia/Rossana as we hang onto her every word. Flora Sowerby has a wonderfully striking presence from start to end as she produces a completely lovable character in Gabriella/Sara.
As the production fast-forwards, the struggles of the women we meet at the play’s introduction is literally mirrored in their daughters, opposite yet almost identical, separate stories and characters connected by family and the feminist ideals that they bring to light, not a lecture but a demonstration. Flashbacks to the past land subtle but heavy, critics lean over their notebooks to scribble notes with their prompted pens and waves of full warm laughter break as humour builds from brutal honesty, outbursts, moments of lingering tensions and when faced with the ridiculousness of certain unspoken but universally understood truths.
The centre of the production is, no doubt, the relationship these women share. The delicate undertone, the feeling of safety to be completely honest, the unyielding atmosphere of support that allows a connection felt even in moments of silence. All achieved through the depth of which this talented and clearly hard-working cast understand their characters and their motives.
You could say that the production is just women talking about life, in fact there are no surprises; the contents very much come full circle but it is delightfully layered with beautiful opportunities for hindsight. A show and story that ceases to exist the moment the curtain closes, clearly is lacking something. This show is decidedly not. In this show, you are effectively able to live and experience again and again, looking back and discovering new pieces of that masterful writing that captures very real experiences and feelings.
The production is adapted for English-speaking audiences beautifully, an achievement of no mean feat which deserves to be celebrated. Theatre is a method of storytelling, a method of communicating creative and complex ideas, and Two Rounds just opened up the conversation even further. The text is not restricted at all but allowed to grow and find a whole new audience to find in it the aura of understanding and the story of how our surroundings impact us, whether that be family or society. Not stilted but fluid.
Two Rounds: Barbie meets The Breakfast Club.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Louisa Clarke
Two Rounds plays at Jermyn Street Theatre until 9 February, with further information here.