The reviews are in for TWO OF US, directed by Scot Williams.
Writers Mark Stanfield, Richard Short, and Barry Sloane have successfully created a play about friendship and love that is funny without being sentimental. It made for riveting theatre as the tension between the two men would grow and relax. The constant push and pull between the two was breathtaking, and this was due to the outstanding central performances. Barry Sloane’s John was full of sardonic wit, aphorisms and surface confidence. Yet he was also able to bring out the scared little boy that lay behind the swaggering intelligence. It was an audacious, skilled portrayal of a complex man. There was such attention to detail in this affecting, intricate and precise performance. Jay Johnson as Paul could easily have slipped into the cheesy, upbeat Macca that some people characterise him as. He gave depth and heft to a man often seen as light and airy. He adeptly gave us the more conventional character who wanted to reconnect with his best mate but had the emotional intelligence to know how difficult that was bound to be. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - North West End Uk
This is such a professional production. It deserves to be more widely seen. TheatreVibe for writing, directing, acting, set and atmosphere has no hesitation in giving it five fully nostalgic stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Theatre Vibe
A poignant study of friendship, falling out, reconciliation and looking out for someone. “Two of Us” could be you and me; could be anyone. It’s an ‘everyman’ story, but built around the Lennon-McCartney duo, it is an inspired choice that dishes out some gripping and honest dialogue. The two actors give powerfully realistic performances. Sloane masterfully gets under the fame, and the skin, to reveal Lennon’s vulnerability beneath the incisive shell. Johnson is convincing as ‘Macca’ – at times the cheeky-chappy-Scouser whilst also having the gravitas and licence to neutralise Lennon’s acidity. But moreover, Johnson reveals a deeply caring soul who lives with the regret of being unable to fully express his love for his lifelong friend. Scot Williams directs with a Pinteresque eye, allowing the action and the emotions to unfold in real time. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - The Spy In The Stalls
A two-hander on a large stage, director Scot Williams does well to keep the production consistently engaging. The play’s biggest success comes in cutting through the well-publicised friction and finding a simple bromance that yielded, arguably, the most significant pairing in the history of popular music. In this, Two of Us feels truthful and very touching. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - The Reviews Hub
Most remarkable are Sloane and Jay Johnson as John and Paul. Sloane portrays a touchy John eager to rib Paul for writing 'nursery rhymes with happy beats' for his band Wings, yet unwilling to take flak in return. Persistently passive aggressive, John deflects Paul's friendship with snarky jokes. Beneath it all you feel a tide of sadness in the man who never grew up, after losing his mother — and a dad he always hated. Paul, too, has lost his parents; Johnson portrays a man grieving not just their loss, but that of the long-haired friend in front of him. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - The Daily Mail
You need a stellar script and two brilliant performances, and for the most part, Two of Us delivers. What follows is a laugh-out loud exchange between two old, and very funny, friends. Sloane and Johnson are both brilliant as the Beatles legends. The pair have the accents and mannerisms nailed. Both take their characters on a physical and emotional journey that is complex and, at the same time, perfectly clear. As Lennon, Sloane is satisfyingly stubborn, damaged and wickedly funny. The moments of anger and cynicism mask an emotional intelligence that is heartbreaking to observe. Johnson is suitably awkward at first, desperate to be adored and willing to breakdown. The script allows the play’s stars to spar on family, music, philosophy, happiness and purpose. It is a pleasure to spend some time earwigging on these conversations. Special mention must go to the sound design. Adrienne Quartly has created a brilliantly believable soundscape of music and city hubbub. As the window opens and the noise of workmen and emergency vehicles grows in volume it is never in doubt we are several storeys above the Big Apple’s sidewalks. Scot Williams’ direction is subtle, but smart. Just as the storytelling becomes ever-so-slightly too comfortable, he moves the action in front of the proscenium arch, removing any barrier between character and audience. These icons are suddenly fragile humans, right in front of us. That clever touch makes the final moments of glances, guitars and phone calls all the more beautiful. What might have been, yes, but at least we have this beautiful piece of art. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Theatre Reviews North
Barry Sloane plays the role of John Lennon and he is joined onstage by Jay Johnson as Paul McCartney. Both actors brilliantly capture the personalities of the Liverpudlian musicians and have great chemistry through moments of joy being reunited and reminiscing about the good days, as well as moments when the two old friends bicker and argue and show the rift in their relationship, unravelling some of the reasons behind why The Beatles broke up. Directed by Scot Williams, the scenes make great use of the space around the swanky New York apartment (designed by Amy Jane Cook) and during one scene, the actors step out onto a strip of staging in front of a curtain as Lennon and McCartney venture out onto the rooftop of the apartment building. The combination of Cook’s design, Katy Morrison’s lighting design, and Adrienne Quartly’s sound design really bring the city of New York to life with the cityscape through the windows, with lighting used to colour the skyline which changes to demonstrate the passing of time. An intriguing interpretation into what may have occurred in one final encounter between former members of The Beatles, Two of Us is a well written play with a relaxed pace that allows audiences to really settle in and get cosy with two titans of the music industry and really delve deep into the ins and outs of their lives and their relationship with each other, as well as exploring the themes of masculinity and male friendships. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - West End Best Friend
The play is a dramatisation of a real event - one final meeting where McCartney turned up unannounced. Truths may have been spoken, apologies could have been shared and fun may have been had, but at the heart of the whole thing is that it is the story of two working class boys who loved each other. The audience was hooked throughout the performance, which is particularly nice when everyone is really experiencing the show together. Barry Sloane (Boys From The Black Stuff, Call of Duty, The Sandman) took on the role of John Lennon and Jay Johnson (Nowhere Boy, Wishful Thinking, Boiling Point) played Paul McCartney. Both actors were fantastic and nailed the characteristics of the two Beatles. The chemistry between Sloane and Johnson was what carried the show. You could see the depth and years of friendship, and how they just fell into catching up despite being apart for years. It must have been such a huge and poignant moment for the pair, and the actors made sure this came across. From heartfelt moments and sharing their feelings to uplifting fun around Lennon’s iconic white piano, the show showed the ups and downs of their reconnection, and possibly the jealousy and undertone of rivalry between the two. The set was a fully kitted out New York apartment. Full of nods to the 1970s and the whole place was very white and bright, with the odd plant and Lennon’s piano central at the back. The costumes were spot on too, iconic 70s looks with both having slightly different styles including Lennon’s signature glasses. The play itself was pretty accurate and gave a great retelling of what people think may have happened in the room. For The Beatles fans out there, you’d enjoy the references and banter between the pair. Two of Us is a must-see for Beatles fans, although it’s enjoyable whether you’re a fan or not. It’s brilliantly written and gives a great insight into the friendship and connections between two iconic characters. It’s a story of fame, loss, friendship and one huge dose of nostalgia. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Mancherster Theatres
A pair of poetic drifters appear in Two of Us, directed by Scot Williams, which dramatises the final meeting between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The witty script by Mark Stanfield, Richard Short and Barry Sloane pays tribute to their punning badinage. The production looks and feels fantastic and the impersonations are uncannily accurate. The chic apartment, designed by Amy Jane Cook, is slightly and deliberately misaligned with the seating area to make the audience feel like eavesdroppers snooping in on a private conversation. Lennon (Barry Sloane) struggles to admit that he enjoyed McCartney’s new music. ‘But you can do better,’ he adds cruelly. Later, he lashes out at McCartney by disavowing their friendship entirely. ‘We were never that close.’ This is a brave and deeply unpleasant portrait of a sad, self-pitying recluse who pads around his luxury penthouse in a white robe, like Jesus on sickness benefit. Lennon is lonely, unoccupied, bitter and fathomlessly angry. For light relief he throws open the windows and hurls abuse at passing police cars. Without his talent, that might have been the summit of his achievement: swearing at traffic. His new ambition is to raise his son, Sean, but the boy has been whisked off to California by Yoko ‘to buy a cow’. Even as a parent, Lennon is doomed to fail. The show ends with the pair smoking dope on the roof and exchanging an improbable gay kiss. McCartney descends into oleaginous schmaltz. ‘I see a frightened man who doesn’t know how beautiful he is,’ he says. Instead of mocking this sugary drivel, Lennon accepts it as a profound truth. Well, he would. The show doesn’t shy away from the possibility that Lennon’s pose as a saintly hermit contained a large element of fraud. - The Spectator
Two of Us at HOME is ‘a fascinating exploration of the Lennon-McCartney relationship’. The success of a two-hander like this hinges on the actors’ ability to embody the two most famous members of the Beatles. As such, Jay Johnson and Barry Sloane are tasked with bringing McCartney and Lennon to life. Barry Sloane portrays Lennon with a striking mix of sarcasm, melancholy, and unpredictability. Sloane is able to capture Lennon’s restless spirit with ease. In contrast, Jay Johnson’s McCartney is optimistic, good-natured and willing to bridge the gap between them. The stark contrast between the disillusioned Lennon and the hopeful McCartney creates palpable tension as their differing personalities clash. Designer Amy Jane Cook smashes it and does a fantastic job at recreating Lennon’s famously minimalist apartment at the Dakota for the stage, complete with his iconic white Steinway grand piano, a homage to Yoko Ono’s influence on his aesthetic. Two of Us is a play that touches on trauma, nostalgia and the quiet dissolution of a longtime friendship. the underlying themes of mental health and the toll fame takes on relationships and the self give the play emotional weight. Fans with a deep affection for Lennon and McCartney will find plenty to enjoy, as the roars of laughter from the rest of the audience indicated. - I Love Manchester
Two Of Us works well as a drama, especially exploring male friendships. Barry Sloane plays Lennon as a nervous complicated soul, full of contradictions. Whereas Jay Johnson’s McCartney is much more self assured and stable. Their onstage chemistry is visceral and pulls the audience into the story from the start. Both actors have mastered the accents and mannerisms, but it is their sarcastic banter which switches to joking and gentle ribbing into irritation in seconds that takes their performances to another level in us believing these are two friends with a long and involved history. It focuses on friendship, love, loss and the pains of growing apart. Amy Jane Cook has created an impressive set design. Realistic furnishings and large windows that look out onto the Manhattan skyline. - Quay Life
It's an intelligent two-hander with plenty of charm; like some newly discovered live bootleg, the results are essential viewing for hardcore Beatles fans. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - The Times
Sloane nails Lennon’s relish for wordplay. Jay Johnson makes an uncanny McCartney. - The Guardian
