The two-man show Letter of Last Resort centres around a humanitarian Prime Minister and her ‘Arrangements’ advisor as she attempts to write a letter of action in the event of a nuclear attack. The two characters are introduced in broad strokes, but throughout the play little character nuances creep in, giving you the chance to warm to them both.

Witty repartee and comic back and forth dilute the deeply philosophical undertones of the play. In places the imagery and similes felt a little forced and broke the narrative slightly, but it swiftly returned to delightfully British high-brow wit. On the whole the show is a slow burner, and by the end the audience is leaning forward to hear the conclusion. 

In the second of the double bill, Good with People, a young man returns to Helensburgh to stay in a hotel staffed by a woman he seemingly does not know. Throughout the play it becomes apparent that they share a past and it is the intrigue in this past that holds the audiences attention. Any comic back and forth between these two characters is harsh, bitter and sarcastic. Every line and every movement is stylised to have a purpose, making the whole thing feel a bit, well, staged.

The story itself is purely character-based and once the connection between the characters is revealed right in the middle of the play, more and more layers are peeled back as self-analytical realisation upon realisation is made. Overall, the intrigue and dialogue are enough to keep you interested, and the constant re-evaluation of the character both one and off the stage kept the audience on its toes.

Letter of Last Resort / Good with People

Traverse Theatre

August 1 – 26 (not 13 & 20), 16.30