Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Two hander

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A two-hander is a term for a play, film, or television programme with only two main characters. The two characters in question often display differences in social standing or experiences, differences that are explored and possibly overcome as the story unfolds.

Contents

Theatre

  • Vigil by Morris Panych
  • The Stronger (1889) by August Strindberg (This play is also an example of a dramatic monologue.)
  • Pariah (1889) by August Strindberg
  • Hughie (1942) by Eugene O'Neill
  • Two for the Seesaw (1958) by William Gibson
  • The Zoo Story (1959) by Edward Albee
  • The Dumb Waiter (1960) by Harold Pinter
  • Happy Days (1961) by Samuel Beckett
  • Same Time, Next Year (1975) by Bernard Slade
  • The Gin Game (1976) by D.L. Coburn
  • The Woods (1977) by David Mamet
  • Talley's Folly (1980) by Lanford Wilson
  • Duet for One (1980, filmed in 1986), by Tom Kempinski
  • Educating Rita (1980) by Willy Russell
  • Mass Appeal (1980) by Bill C. Davis
  • Some Men Need Help (1982) by John Ford Noonan
  • The Woman in Black (1987) by Stephen Mallatratt
  • The Meeting (1987) by Jeff Stetson
  • Love Letters (1988) by A. R. Gurney
  • A Walk in the Woods (1988) by Lee Blessing
  • Oleanna (1992) by David Mamet
  • John & Jen (1995) by Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald
  • Same Time, Another Year (1995) by Bernard Slade (sequel)
  • Disco Pigs (1996) by Enda Walsh
  • Stones in His Pockets (1996) by Marie Jones
  • The Blue Room (1998) by David Hare
  • Freud's Last Session (1999) by Mark St. Germain
  • Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks (2001) by Richard Alfieri
  • The Last Five Years (2001) by Jason Robert Brown
  • A Number (2002) by Caryl Churchill
  • Adrenalin...Heart (2002) by Georgia Fitch
  • The Story of My Life (2009) by Neil Bartram and Brian Hill
  • A Steady Rain (2007) by Keith Huff
  • Follow Me (2008) by Ross Gurney-Randall and Dave Mounfield
  • it felt empty when the heart went at first but it is alright now (2009) by Lucy Kirkwood
  • Red (2009) by John Logan
  • Venus in Fur (2010) by David Ives
  • In a Forest, Dark and Deep (2011) by Neil LaBute
  • Constellations (2012) by Nick Payne
  • Between the Sheets (2012) by Jordi Mand
  • The Anarchist (2012) by David Mamet
  • The Velocity of Autumn (2013) by Eric Coble
  • China Doll (2015) by David Mamet

    • Film

  • Sleuth (1972) by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
  • My Dinner with Andre (1981) by Louis Malle
  • Primer (2004) by Shane Carruth
  • Interview (2007) by Steve Buscemi
  • Moon (2009) by Duncan Jones

    • Television

  • Porridge: "A Night In" (Series 1, episode 3)
  • EastEnders two-hander episodes
  • Maude; several episodes (such as "Maude's Night Out" and "The Convention") featured only the characters of Maude and Walter
  • In Treatment portrays the relationship between a psychotherapist and his clients, so most episodes are entirely or primarily two-handers.
  • Dinner for One (1963) by Lauri Wylie, a one-off TV special traditionally associated with New Year's Eve in central Europe
  • "Brian & Stewie", episode of Family Guy
  • Four Star Playhouse episode Award, featuring an only two cast members.
  • "Episode 6361", episode of Home and Away featuring Ricky Sharpe and Darryl Braxton.

    • Radio

  • John Finnemore's Double Acts
  • Vic and Sade began as a two-hander series and often returned to the format after a third character was added when one of the three took a day off

    • "Almost" Instances

  • Beirut (1987) by Alan Bowne
  • Driving Miss Daisy (1987) by Alfred Uhry
  • Before Sunrise (1995) by Richard Linklater and Kim Krizan
  • Lost in Translation (2003)
  • Collateral (2004)
  • Blackbird (2005) by David Harrower
  • The Empty Planet (2010)
  • Gravity (2013)
  • The One I Love (2014)
  • Whiplash (2014)
  • Cyberbully (2015)
  • Ex Machina (2015), by Alex Garland

    • References

    Two-hander Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA