Two-hander
Play, film, or television programme with only two main characters
A two-hander is 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. Instances of two-handers may include theatre, film, television episodes, television series, and radio.
01Radio
- The Bickersons
- Ethel and Albert consisted mostly of two-handers.
- John Finnemore's Double Acts
- Vic and Sade
02Television series
- Dinner for One (1963)
- Un gars, une fille (1997)
- Head Case (2007)
- Web Therapy (2008)
- In Treatment (2008)
- Roger & Val Have Just Got In (2010)
03Television episodes
- Bottom: "Contest", "Culture", "Hole"
- Breaking Bad: "Fly"
- Family Guy: "Brian & Stewie", "Send in Stewie, Please"
- Home and Away: Episode 6361
- Mad About You: "The Conversation"
- Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: "4,722 Hours"
- Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story: "The Hurt Man"
- Neighbours: Episode 8052, Episode 8325
- Porridge: "A Night In"
- The Twilight Zone: "Two"
04Theatre
- The Stronger (1889)
- Hughie (1942)
- The Fourposter (1951)
- Two for the Seesaw (1958)
- The Zoo Story (1959)
- The Dumb Waiter (1960)
- Happy Days (1961)
- The Blood Knot (1961)
- Dutchman (1966)
- I Do! I Do! (1966)
- Same Time, Next Year (1975)
- The Gin Game (1976)
- The Woods (1977)
- Talley's Folly (1980)
- Duet for One (1980, also filmed in 1986)
- Educating Rita (1980)
- Mass Appeal (1980)
- 'night, Mother (1982)
- The Woman in Black (1987)
- The Meeting (1987)
- Love Letters (1988)
- Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (1987)
- A Walk in the Woods (1988)
- The Secret of Sherlock Holmes (1988)
- Oleanna (1992)
- Lonely Planet (1993)
- John & Jen (1995)
- Stones in His Pockets (1996)
- The Blue Room (1998)
- Vincent River (2000)
- Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks (2001)
- The Last Five Years (2001)
- Topdog/Underdog (2001)
- A Number (2002)
- Adrenalin...Heart (2002)
- Tuesdays with Morrie (2002)
- The Sunset Limited (2006)
- The Story of My Life (2009)
- A Steady Rain (2007)
- The Mountaintop (2009)
- Red (2009)
- Venus in Fur (2010)
- Lungs (2011)
- In a Forest, Dark and Deep (2011)
- Tender Napalm (2011)
- Constellations (2012)
- Between the Sheets (2012)
- The Anarchist (2012)
- China Doll (2015)
- Equal (2021)
05Film
- Heaven Knows, Mr Allison (1957)
- Dutchman (1966)
- Hell in the Pacific (1968)
- Sleuth (1972)
- Same Time, Next Year (1978)
- My Dinner with Andre (1981)
- Enemy Mine (1985)
- 'night, Mother (1985)
- The Caller (1987)
- Closet Land (1991)
- The Mozart Bird (1993)
- Oleanna (1994)
- Interview (2003)
- Before Sunset (2004)
- In Bed (2005)
- Conversations with Other Women (2005)
- Sleuth (2007)
- Interview (2007)
- Antichrist (2009)
- Moon (2009)
- The Sunset Limited (2011)
- 28 Hotel Rooms (2012)
- Some Velvet Morning (2013)
- Venus in Fur (2013)
- Creep (2014)
- Blue Jay (2016)
- The Pass (2016)
- Creep 2 (2017)
- Love All You Have Left (2017)
- Destination Wedding (2018)
- The Lighthouse (2019)
- The Two Popes (2019)
- Friend of the World (2020)
- Language Lessons (2021)
- Malcolm & Marie (2021)
- Together (2021)
- Biosphere (2022)
- Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022)
- 65 (2023)
- The Dive (2023)
- What Happens Later (2023)
- Daddio (2024)
- Miss You, Love You (2026)
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Two-hander”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Harold Pinter's - The Dumb Waiter - presented by Stairwell Theater - 2019.jpg by Mrgarden 2342, CC BY-SA 4.0
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