The inherent concept of a two person musical seemed strange to me when I first walked into the theater to see Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York). After all, usually when you think of musicals, especially romantic comedy musicals such as this one, big dance numbers and charming side characters with their own big solos are the first elements that come to mind. So to have all of the charm and wow of a standard musical comedy in a two person show seems borderline impossible. This show serves as a prime example that it isn’t impossible.
Walking in and looking at the set for the show, I could instantly tell that it was going to be a fun time at the very least. It was a really unique set design, with two large stacks of suitcases of varying sizes (which throughout the show would be opened or used in some way to represent the different scenes, ranging from a Chinese Restaurant to a bedroom at The Plaza). These two piles sat in the middle of a small turntable set into a larger one, which I recently learned is called a “donut,” and on the outer ring of the turntables, an actual, steel suitcase was sitting, spinning around on the stage like an airport baggage claim. Now, this set had me excited from the start, as I always love a good turntable set, especially in musicals, creating opportunities for very cool and interesting choreography.
Speaking of the choreography and the performance of the show in general, it was all remarkable, and really helped to make the show what it was. The dances and actions felt very smooth, never seeming overly flashy or “musical number”-y, and having a natural progression to them that fit the natures and behaviors of the characters on stage. The actors for Dougal and Robin did fantastic, giving the characters great and realistic personalities in all of their different mannerisms. I think one bit where that especially shined for me was the top of act 2, with the contrast between Robin’s and Dougal’s reactions to waking up in the Plaza. Robins anxiety and manic energy throughout the song combined with Dougal’s relaxed, victorious, and in-the-moment attitude towards the whole situation clashed really nicely and started the second act on a very high note. As well, for what was primarily a comedy, both of the actors did a phenomenal job at being able to naturally transition into and out of a more serious tone and manner throughout the story, with the moments of heartbreak, anger, and anxiety playing off very genuinely rather than awkwardly amongst a greater sea of laughs.
The lighting for the show overall was very nice, with a lot of good variety and energy for the songs while constantly keeping the actor’s well-lit. The sound design similarly was well done, and the live band provided a fantastic performance in their own right for the show (I also find it kind of funny that the band had more members than the cast did).Overall, Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York) was a fantastic show to watch, and with its story of a foreign tourist on a trip that could change his life forever, is, thematically speaking, the best show we could have seen to finish off our time in London.
Theatre in London U of A 