Thoughts about 'Two'

It has been a while since I watched a theatre piece as short as Two. 'Two' is a physical piece  co-created by  Pumelela Nqelenga, Samantha Hammerschlag and Nomcebisi Moyikwa. Two is a physical play about two sisters having to deal with sexuality, religion and the female body in a family structure. The play combines movement and shadow puppetry and the minimal setting is made out of iron board, a table and a hanger with wrapped apples on the ground.

The style of the play made me think of Neil Coppen's Tin Bucket drum and the sisterly relationship theme made me think of Matty & Sis. And the physicality of the piece made me think of Woza Albert.

But there is something fresh and necessary about the piece 'Two'. The play deals with  family dynamics, childhood idiosyncrasies and first experiences. The play has successfully managed to balance movement, text and shadow puppetry nothing is over done or less done having said that the emotional sustainability and depletion of characters felt unexplored.

Everything you see had a purpose on stage, however I could not connect the hanger with wrapped apples to the story. That part of the set was not co-operated to the piece. Was the hanger suppose to be a tree? If so, then it could have been a beautiful image when used in the narrative.

The use of body enhanced language and displacement of  pain and fear and metaphorical use of the dress highlighted the urgency the play has. The sisters's lives is told through flashback and memory.

Question such as which memory rest, where in ones body are vital because memory at times become the elephant that holds the body down... And both sisters are stuck and held by their own elephants.  The play bounces off from theme to theme and each theme is cemented by each character's conflict.

However, Two would have been more effective , when it would have been longer. The themes of religion and God, sexuality, family, abuse are vast  yet they felt squashed and summarised. The play has room for more exploration both the physicality and text. The text is amazing and convicts you to your own elephants but that on its own is quickly snatched away because the journey of both characters is not explored to the fullest.

There is much to win when they open the play and let it breath.  It was quickly gone as an audience I was left hanging without anything to go home with. The play felt like a quick summarised essay. I missed the ugliness, the joy, the quirkiness, the playfulness, the danger and the fear.

Both performers  Pumelela Nqelenga and Nomcebisi Moyikwa work well together like a well oiled machine. They commit themselves to the story and to the energy of the play. I applaud both of them  for their commanding focus and ability. I found the story of sisters quite relevant piece.  The play is running tomorrow at Squarespace Theatre entrance is free.

Pumelela Nqelenga in 'Two' Image: Katty Vandenberghe