Review of ‘Two Come Home’: “Conflicted efforts”

The Camden Fringe Festival welcomes this new -themed play exploring the struggles of a young gay man fighting to break away from his abusive past. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if its bitter portrayal of life manages to bring out the home truth.

One of the first lessons we, as members of the gay community, have often been forced to learn early in our lives is that family is not made of those we are born into, but the ones we choose to love. Stories of abuse and psychological struggle (all of them, caused by the people that was supposed to shelter us for such evil) are so frequent in our reality, it’s almost impossible to find a queer-themed work of fiction that, one way or another, explores the torment that’s cast such a blackening shadow on the paths of so many LGBT+ persons.

Joe Eason’s new play makes an unapologetic statement about it. Titled Two Come Home, the piece revolves around a young man endeavouring to find his own place in the world, as he fights for his emotional independence – breaking free from the ties of a toxic past he never asked to be a part of. Brandishing a slight Tennessee Williams-style undertone (from tiny details such as its American South setting to major themes like the fallout of an already dysfunctional household), the piece parts from a strong, enticing premise that could lead to a highly moving, thought-provoking and, all in all, compelling recount. Sadly, though, its entire potential gets run down by what, in the end, feels like an overdramatic and underdeveloped delivery – unable to bring much verity despite the inborn insightful flavour of its topics.

Relying on excessively soap operatic moments, both dialogue and pacing are compromised by a lack of proper flow and naturalness. On too many occasions, sounding a bit too over-the-top (even for the subjects it deals with), the main problem stems from an unrealised built-up and evolution throughout its conversations – exceedingly focusing on the shock factor, instead of a more sincere, introspective look into the characters’ journeys. Feeling a little corseted and artificial at some points, many of the lines are flawed with clichés – which, added to the often unresolved rhythm of both each scene and the account as a whole, affect and, finally, erase the overall effectiveness of the plot.

Directed by Kirsten Obank Sharpe, the montage is able to emanate a cinematic feel all through the performance – helping ease, to some extent, the material’s rhythm while also enhancing its interest. However, there’s still some issues to be corrected in its blocking. Too often recurring to blackouts as a transitional devise, one can’t ignore the fact that, most probably, those excerpts would have worked better should the actors remain onstage while executing a choreographed scene change – especially, when they’re counting on such a powerful live band score (also penned by Eason) that could have reinforced the sentimentality of the piece if accompanied by a crucial but, so far, missing visual input.

As for the cast, all the renditions flaunt commitment and determination in their delivery. Unfortunately, this doesn’t translate into a fully gripping and, most importantly, believable outcome – going for a slightly hyperbolic approach which, added to the abrupt, overdramatic sections the script is packed with, breaks up any illusion of truthfulness throughout the account’s development.

In any case, there’s still elements of praise in the production, starting with its quite eye-pleasing and, all in all, narratively efficacious lighting. Nonetheless, the biggest mention is undoubtedly earned by its 3-piece orchestra – not only for the beauty and heartfelt sensitivity of their renditions, but for the most applaudable effort of bringing live musicians to a fringe show, in lieu of a prerecorded track; underlining the uniqueness of a genuine and complete theatrical experience.

A tale of loss, battle and ultimate victory, Two Come Home sets up a marvellous chance for a reflective, touching jaunt that, some way or another, could mirror the background of all those who come look into it. Yet, it loses its track by confiding too much in its highpoints without crafting a proper escalation to them. It’s a powerful concept that could lead to an even more commanding result. But to capture such prowess, it needs to leave its overly tragic spectacle behind, in favour of a more fulfilling recital of honesty.

Two Come Home plays at London’s King’s Head Theatre until 18 August. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara