★★★★★

“the whole show has the feel of a classic, like it has been around for ever, yet it still glows with a freshness and streetwise modernism”

The move from an off-West End theatre into the West End inevitable comes with risks and expectations. Even if it follows a sell-out run, such as enjoyed by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan’s “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” last year at Kiln Theatre. But these two writers have successfully carried a show across London without dropping a crumb, keeping an already perfect concoction fully intact. For anyone who saw it in its smaller setting, the fear that it may have lost its heart and its intimacy in transit is immediately quashed. For anyone who hasn’t seen it before, it is a slice of the West End that is mouth-wateringly irresistible.

The two strangers in question are Dougal (Sam Tutty) and Robin (Dujonna Gift). Dougal is in New York for a whirlwind thirty-six hours, having flown in for the wedding of his father who abandoned him before he was born. Robin, the sister of the bride, has been given the thankless task of meeting him at the airport. Dougal is bubbling with puppy-dog elation, excited at the prospect of meeting his dad and of being in ‘The Big Apple’. He lives in a dreamworld; a world of hope that he has built from the many films he has watched. Robin exists in a land of cynicism, tethered to reality by the ghosts of past, present and future. They are chalk and cheese.

On the surface we are in Rom-com territory. But this unique musical makes us think again. It pays homage to the genre, but subverts it with affection and stunning inventiveness. Barne and Buchan – the writers of the book, music and lyrics – are childhood friends who have grown up together through music. And it shows. Amazingly they wrote it before either had been to New York, which is what probably gives it its magical quality, viewing the city like it’s a mythical land of ‘Oz’. Yet beneath the fairy-tale stardust is a character driven story that is funny, natural and heart-warming.

“Tutty can cast a laugh-out-loud one-liner and wrap it around a tear-jerking anecdote with worldly skill”

The show is chock-a-block with standout musical numbers. Yet still there is more than enough dialogue, giving the two actors plenty to chew on, and to showcase their formidable acting skills. Their range, which can rake up many emotions, matches their vocal versatility. From the opening, crowd-pleasing overture, ‘New York’, we get an instant picture of the two personalities. Sam Tutty’s Dougal is intensely irritating but insanely vulnerable and gorgeous. Tutty can cast a laugh-out-loud one-liner and wrap it around a tear-jerking anecdote with worldly skill. His brash, ingenuous shell is dangerously fragile. Dujonna Gift, as Robin, is the antithesis of the American Dream, hard yet vulnerable, and cannot seem to shake off her nightmares – the latest of which has arrived in the form of her prospective nephew-in-law. They initially clash, but the sparks that fly are hot enough to weld them together.

Through the songs they bond – at first reluctantly. ‘On the App’ is a sensational staccato number that showcases the clever lyrics that run through the show. Like many of the songs it is rhapsodic in nature, the distinct rhythms giving way to a smooth, flowing chorus. Act Two opener, ‘The Hangover Duet’ is similarly eclectic. ‘The Argument’, with its semi-spoken, urban rap, is delivered with precision timing by Gift and Tutty. The delivery and lyrical content of the songs are razor sharp, often cutting open heartrending and bitter reveals. ‘Under the Mistletoe’, a gorgeous parody of the seasonal hits that crowd the airwaves every year, rises above pastiche as it mocks its source material while moulding itself into an instant classic of its own. In fact, the whole show has the feel of a classic, like it has been around for ever, yet it still glows with a freshness and streetwise modernism. Throw in a sumptuous ballad – Tutty’s ‘Dad’ or ‘About to Go In’. Or Gift’s ‘This Year’ and ‘He Doesn’t Exist’ – and you have a score that lifts the heart and raises the audience to its feet.

Tim Jackson’s lively production sets the action on a revolve that circles Soutra Gilmour’s ingenious set of piles of greyed-out suitcases that open and close to reveal the various locations, props, and the surprises and secrets of our protagonists. And at the centre are Tutty and Gift, a pair whose chemistry fills the air with fizzing electricity. “Two Strangers” (as the title is lovingly shortened to) is part musical, part movie, part fairy-tale, part dream. But wholly unmissable.

TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK) at the Kiln Theatre

★★★★★

“Tim Jackson’s lively production never misses a beat, played out on a revolve that circles Soutra Gilmour’s ingenious set”

Given a limited amount of time, would you rather spend it with someone you’ve never met or with someone you may never meet again?

One of the many questions thrown into the air in the captivating new musical, “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)”. Dougal (Sam Tutty) is in New York for a whirlwind thirty-six hours. He has arrived for the wedding of his father who abandoned him before he was born. The excitement at the invitation is matched by his puppyish elation at being in The Big Apple. Meeting him at the airport is Robin (Dujonna Gift), the sister of the bride. Her cynicism is as great as his enthusiasm. Do opposites attract? Well – not at first. We might think we are in familiar Romcom territory, but there is plenty of rug-pulling that makes us think again.

Dougal lives in a movie, reliving the technicolour hopes and dreams that spill from the silver screen. ‘Do you know what we’d do now if we were in a movie?’ is his catchphrase. Robin lives in the real world, vaguely haunted by the ghosts of past, present and future. They clash, but with sparks hot enough to weld them together – yet Jim Barne’s and Kit Buchan’s writing is too complex to ensure the customary happy ending, and I’m not about to tell you either.

The opening number; ‘New York!’ is a crowd-pleasing overture, instantly putting a stamp on the two personalities. Sam Tutty’s Dougal is intensely irritating but insanely vulnerable and gorgeous. Tutty can cast a laugh-out-loud one-liner and wrap it around a tear-jerking anecdote with worldly skill. His brash, ingenuous shell is dangerously fragile. Dujonna Gift, as Robin, is the antithesis of the American Dream, and cannot seem to shake off her current nightmare that has arrived in the form of her prospective nephew-in-law.

“For a musical, there is more than enough script, which gives the two actors plenty to chew on, and reveal their formidable acting skills”

They bond, reluctantly, over Robin’s Tinder App during the sensational, staccato musical number, ‘On the App’, which showcases the clever lyrics that run throughout the show. Like many of the songs it is almost rhapsodic in nature, blending styles like a confectioner would concoct the most delicious flavours. Jim Barne’s score cannot be separated from the book and lyrics (credited to both Kit Buchan, and Barne). They brilliantly mix the old and the new, the traditional and the urban, classic and modern, the sweet and the sour. ‘Under the Mistletoe’ is a gorgeous parody of the seasonal hit that we all pretend to frown upon yet secretly love. It rises above pastiche though, sending up its source with a glowing affection that will ensure the song’s place in everyone’s festive playlist.

There are too many standout numbers. ‘The Argument’, sparse and rhythmic, delivered with precision timing by Gift and Tutty is both timeless and progressive, blurred by the doubt and confusion of too much liquor yet with a sharpness that cuts open a bitter and heartrending reveal. It is the performances of Tutty and Gift that propel the show as much as the score. For a musical, there is more than enough script, which gives the two actors plenty to chew on, and reveal their formidable acting skills. Their range, which can rake up many emotions, matches their vocal versatility. Through them, too, we get a three-dimensional portrayal of the off-stage characters and a glorious insight into the relationships.

Tim Jackson’s lively production never misses a beat, played out on a revolve that circles Soutra Gilmour’s ingenious set of piles of greyed-out suitcases that open and close to reveal the various locations, props, and the surprises and secrets of our protagonists. These characters have many shades, reflected and amplified by Jack Knowles’ moody, sensitive and innovative lighting.

“Two Strangers…” is the perfect Christmas tale. Part dream. Part movie. Part fairy-tale. And, of course, the obligatory snowfall during its finale. The opening number, ‘New York!’, is reprised, shifting from the major to the minor. Tender, plaintive and haunting now, but with a rising crescendo that reassures us all. We have cried. But we have laughed too. Hope springs eternal.

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TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK)

★★★★★

Criterion Theatre

TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK) at the Criterion Theatre

★★★★★

“the whole show has the feel of a classic, like it has been around for ever, yet it still glows with a freshness and streetwise modernism”

“Tutty can cast a laugh-out-loud one-liner and wrap it around a tear-jerking anecdote with worldly skill”

TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK) at the Criterion Theatre

Reviewed on 23rd April 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Tristram Kenton

Previously reviewed at this venue:

AMÉLIE THE MUSICAL | ★★★★ | June 2021

TWO STRANGERS

TWO STRANGERS

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Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)

★★★★★

Kiln Theatre

TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK) at the Kiln Theatre

★★★★★

“Tim Jackson’s lively production never misses a beat, played out on a revolve that circles Soutra Gilmour’s ingenious set”

“For a musical, there is more than enough script, which gives the two actors plenty to chew on, and reveal their formidable acting skills”