In the film ‘Kind Hearts and Coronets’, acting legend Sir Alex Guinness famously played eight members of the same family. A man with the ability to perform with many faces, it is his multi-faceted life off-stage, and the way his career came together, which is so vividly brought to the fore in this remarkable one-man show.
Two Halves of Guinness is a passion project for performer Zeb Soanes, the former voice of ‘The Shipping Forecast’, and writer Mark Burgess. The pair have combined here to create a vibrant retelling of Guinness’s storied life, with Soanes’s stunning ability to multi-role meaning that we do not just meet the various versions of Sir Alec, but other icons of the screen and stage too, such as Gielgud, Olivier and Hunt, who all in their own way helped Guinness on his way.
Of course, to many, it his Guinness’s role as noble Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in ‘Star Wars’ that rings most familiar, yet this productions leans into Guinness’s displeasure at his most recognisable role by focusing instead on his working in the ‘Ealing Comedies’, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and his Oscar-winning turn in as Colonel Nicholson in ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’ to name just a few of his iconic roles.
As Guinness, Soanes is mesmerising in capturing Guinness without turning the piece into hollow parody. Soanes’s vocal delivery captures the suave and charming actor, while his bravado is combined nicely with a vulnerability regarding his sexuality, an absent father and a leeching, alcoholic mother, is handled with care by Burgess’s script. It is a remarkable solo performance, portraying not just Guinness but over 30 unique roles with speed and precision, which brings Guinness’s colourful history to life.
Director Selina Cadell, as well as movement director Did Hopkins, focus terrifically on physicality here. Soanes’s portrayal is one of poise and measure, with each movement carefully choreographed and sequenced, a reminder of the diligence of Guinness’s work and the meticulous crafting of each of his roles, even if Guinness himself says he performs ‘blankly’.
The production also moves at a good speed through Guinness’s life, taking in his early training under the stewardship of acting royalty, as well as his military experiences in the navy during World War Two, albeit with a sidestep onto Broadway at the same time.
As solo performances go, Soanes’s portrayal of Guinness is right up there as a shining example of how best to capture, but not parody, an individual. Two Halves of Guinness is a touching, funny and deeply researched piece that sheds light on one of theatre and cinema’s most elusive, perhaps even tormented, figures, with his dry wit and experiences with a who’s who of Hollywood’s and Theatreland’s biggest names making the two-hour piece an utterly compelling watch.
This review was written for Adventures in Theatreland (AD / PR Invite)
