What starts off as a light-hearted after-dinner drinking game – pick a random subject and choose if it’s a winner or a loser – turns increasingly personal in this European premiere by long-time friends, and Canadians (I mention this because they refer to it frequently), Marcus Youssef and James Long.
There is much wit and humour delivered at breakneck speed. I laughed out loud – a lot – especially over the Pamela Anderson/Sylvia Plath comparison (think Malibu living versus head in the oven and you’ll get the gist) but don’t be fooled, it is clearly a tightly rehearsed piece that includes a measured degree of improvisation, just not too much.
As it progresses, a more controlled performance from both actors helps to underline the competitiveness between the two over a host of issues from the relatively benign ping-pong to the more contentious subject of inherited wealth.
The British love to feel that class and privilege is their national gripe but this thought-proving and well-executed piece reminds us that social mobility and notions of inequality create bitterness that extend beyond this island.
Escalating tension leaves a lasting impression despite the slightly hammered home moral that we could have got to ourselves.
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