Last chance to see ‘pitch-perfect’ Zoë in Two Ladies

25 October 2019 22:26

TimeÂ’s running out to watch the world premiere production of Nancy HarrisÂ’ brilliant drama Two Ladies, in which the personal and political collide, at LondonÂ’s Bridge Theatre. The playÂ’s run ends tomorrow, 26 October, after six wonderful weeks. ThereÂ’ll be a matinee and evening show: I highly recommend catching one of them if you can.

Zoë is on stage throughout as Helen, the smart, sharp First Lady of France, who’s confined to a conference room with her opposite number from the US (played by Zrinka Cvitešic) while a political crisis rages. Her compelling performance has won considerable praise from reviewers.

‘Wanamaker’s Helen is, no surprise, pitch-perfect: all withheld irritation, needling looks, growling emphasis and sudden shifts’ – Telegraph

‘Zoë Wanamaker (as Helen) and Cvitešic both give fantastic performances’ - Guardian

‘Zoë Wanamaker and Zrinka Cvitesic deliver compelling performances as ideological foes’ – The Times

‘Helen [is] played with spry wit by Zoë Wanamaker’ – Financial Times

‘[Two Ladies is] pacy, gripping and crisply acted’ – Mail on Sunday

‘The great Zoë Wanamaker and Croatian actress Zrinka Cvitešic give terrific, starkly contrasting performances [...] Two Ladies is absolutely worth seeing to witness two actresses in confident control of their art, and for the laughs and intakes of breath it provokes’ – Evening Standard

‘Zoë Wanamaker is always hugely watchable as Helen: sharp, a little tetchy, dryly sarcastic’ – Time Out

‘[Zoë Wanamaker] is brilliant at suggesting vulnerability beneath a waspish, self-possessed exterior’ – WhatsOnStage.com

‘Zoë Wanamaker [is] particularly strong in playing up the comic elements’ – British Theatre Guide

‘Wanamaker ably creates the sense of a woman whose frustration, energy and down-to-earth manner reacts to the confinement and political crisis with restless edginess’ – Morning Star

‘Zoë Wanamaker and Zrinka Cvitešic brilliantly convey the impotent frustration of two competent women reduced to mere trophies. The interplay between them is razor sharp’ – City A.M.

‘Wanamaker brings her signature intelligence and mordant wit to the role of Helen [...Two Ladies is] a thought-provoking piece graced by two stellar central performances’ – The American

‘You leave the theatre full of admiration for the acting, and convinced of the truth of the play’s central message - that although it’s wrong to think of women just as victims, they usually do have it tough’ – TheArtsDesk.com

You can check out what Zoë and her co-star have to say about the play in a series of brief but delightful interviews on the Bridge Theatre’s YouTube channel. In addition, hear them talk in more detail on the 8 October episode of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.

The theatre’s Facebook page features a great photo of Zoë at the after-party on the opening night.

Having been unwell for several weeks, I felt excited – and relieved – when I made it to a matinee this week. The show was certainly worth the wait.

Some tickets are still available for Two Ladies’ last two performances – don’t miss out if you haven’t seen it yet! I’d love to hear what you think.

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