Two, at Theatre Works - 80 minutes, with no interval

As a conventionally brought up, white, heterosexual male, I was excited by what I saw and learnt from Two.

In fact, opening our eyes to difference and embracing it continues to be one of society’s challenges.

I put it to you that while we may have come some way, we still have a long way to go.

Non-binary Kit (Sienna Macalister) is strong willed. They know who they are and they want others to accept who they are too.

Photos by Leonie Leonida

But the person most challenged to do so, who is forever testing Kit’s tolerance, is their mother, June (Rebecca Morton).

Let’s just say the pair doesn’t see eye to eye … most of the time.

Now Kit is pregnant and June is desperate to know the sex of the child. She asks, is it a boy or is it a girl?

That immediately gives Kit the irrits because they aren’t ready to proclaim anything. They simply want to bring up their child as they want, without labels attached to them.

The baby will be brought into the world with Kit in two close relationships, one with trans feminine Jules (Vasi Desi) and the other with trans masculine Claude (Marz Cooper).

Only, Jules inadvertently does wrong by Kit, while Claude is pregnant phobic, so Kit feels the need to distance themselves from both.

Also, in Kit’s corner is their friend from the bookshop where they work, Alicia (Sophie Smyth).

The play really kicks up a gear when Kit tells their mother that they aren’t just having one baby, but two.

That gets June even more excited, but it also invites inevitable problems because it is a lie … that is sustained.

Two is both dramatic and comedic, the work of writer director Artemis Munoz, who expands our horizons.

Munoz says there is a part of them in every character in the play (there are six principal roles, including Kit’s brother Richard, played by Quinten van Dalen).

The central conceit came to Munoz after their sister whinged about having to buy two sets of gifts for a baby shower for twins.

Two is about tolerance, understanding and boundaries – standing your ground.

It is about the inherent difficulties of being judged because one is outside the norm.

Lead actor Sienna Macalister gives a most natural performance as Kit. They bring integrity to the role.

So, too, Sophie Smyth as Alicia, who is quick to spring to Kit’s defence because that is what friends do. I totally bought into her character.

I was also impressed by Rebecca Morton’s no nonsense showing as mum, June, determined to provide unwelcome advice. Morton brings a sense of entitlement to the part.

The wooden framework of a house greets patrons centre stage as we enter the theatre and it proves quite utilitarian throughout the production.

Around the outskirts are other settings that will prove useful in various scenes. They include a long ladder and a shorter ladder and a surfeit of books, a bookshelf full of soft toys and a preponderance of sealed cardboard packing boxes.

With that, set designer Leonie Leonida transports us to the heart of the action.

Incidentally, the baby is represented by a glowing orb that is slightly larger than a basketball.

My only concern about Two relates to the sound, which doesn’t travel well in the cavernous space that is Theatre Works.

The air conditioning was switched on the hot night I saw it and that certainly didn’t help.

Even sitting relatively close to the stage, I struggled to hear what various actors were saying.

I could have done with greater projection from a number of them and even slowing down the dialogue in one instance.

Still, Two is impactful because it provides important food for thought that one size doesn’t fit all.

It is on at Theatre Works until 20^th December, 2025.