No. 52 @ Summerhall

Twitching the curtain on middle-class normality

Feature by Nick Manderson | 14 Aug 2011

No. 52, the first Fringe production of Two’s Company Three’s a Crowd, offers an analysis of the social conventions of the modern British middle-class family through harmonic song and physical theatre.

The members of Two’s Company Three’s a Crowd are recent graduates from Rose Bruford College of Theatre, an energetic and interesting new addition to the Fringe. Sceptics might expect an amateurish performance but will be mistaken for thinking so. The performance is well delivered and produced. Not relying on the lifting of stage lights to begin, the audience enters the main theatre of The Summerhall to two characters sitting quietly, framed in a white surround. Immediately the audience is participating in the curtain twitching, trying to second guess who the characters are and what they could possibly be up to.

The strong vocal harmonies and the high quality of performance demonstrate the confidence of this young Company; unfortunately, the characterisation is not as well polished. The volume of the harmonies and diegetic sounds (provided at times by a vacuum cleaner – how domestic) does begin to drown and blur the distinctions and changes between characters. The change in setting, moving around the different windows of this anonymous street, feels confused on account of the weak character portrayal.

No. 52 is, however, good piece of physical theatre and song. Do go and see No. 52, as it should hopefully be a pleasure to watch this company evolve and mature in the Fringe Festivals to come.

Summerhall

6 - 16 August, 2.30pm

http://www.summerhall.co.uk/