REVIEW: TWO ROUNDS at Jermyn Street Theatre (Footprints Festival) 7 – 9 Feb 2024



'An emotional journey through the lives of four women whose bond runs deep' ★★★★ ½

Four women gather to play cards in a living-room adorned with pictures of Grace Kelly in all her Princess of Monaco glory. Nobody says a word for about five minutes. They shuffle, they sit, they get up, they drink tea. A routine. One they've all come to love.

Oscar-nominated writer and film director Cristina Comencini's play TWO ROUNDS finds its London home at the Jermyn Street Theatre, directed by Aida Rocci, after a successful run in Italy. Set in the 1960s during the first act, Two Rounds explores the lives, loves, marriages, and friendships of four women, Claudia, Beatrice, Sofia and Gabriella, as they get together every Thursday to play cards. They talk about their lives, they share their woes, they help each other, in particular Beatrice, who's about to give birth at any minute. The theme of family, motherhood and marriage take centre stage, and though this may seem slightly overdone at times, it does provide a good backdrop to the world of these women, whose hopes and dreams may have been shattered one way or another.

When tragedy strikes, we are left with endless questions, answered in the second act, making this one of the most seamless and brilliant act breaks I've seen in a play in a very long time. In the second act, we've fast-forwarded through some decades to the present day, and the daughters of the four characters are dealing with a shocking tragedy. As we begin to understand what happened, we get a gut punch we didn't see coming and we are left with the sorrow of it all, as this deeply moving tale comes to an end.

Two Rounds is an emotional journey through the lives of four women whose bond runs deep. The performances are fantastic and there are plenty of laughs along the way to get you through the pain. Heartbreaking and heartwarming.

TWO ROUNDS

Written by Cristina Comencini and directed by Aida Rocci

7- 9 February 2024, Jermyn Street Theatre

Cast: Natalie Cutler, Daria Mazzocchio, Flora Sowerby, Saria Steyl

Reviewer: Carol Saint Martin is a screenwriter, playwright, pop culture blogger and reviewer. Her TV pilot DEADLINE, REDFERN CITY and her stage plays have reached the finals of several competitions. Her first short film will be coming out in 2024.