{{Short description|Play, film, or television programme with only two main characters}} {{distinguish|Two-handed (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}} {{EngvarB|date=June 2020}} [[File:Harold Pinter's - The Dumb Waiter - presented by Stairwell Theater - 2019.jpg|thumb|The two characters Ben and Gus in Harold Pinter's ''The Dumb Waiter'']] A '''two-hander''' is a play, film, or television programme with only two main characters.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=slanguage_result&slang=two-hander&page=Slanguage&display=two-hander |title=Slanguage Dictionary Results - Two-hander |publisher=Variety |accessdate=2008-06-19}}</ref> The two characters in question often display differences in social standing or experiences, differences that are explored and possibly overcome as the story unfolds.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2010/09/crouching-duck-hidden-draper-mad-men-season-4-episode-7.html|title=Crouching Duck, Hidden Draper: Mad Men Season 4, Episode 7|last=Wolcott|first=James|date=6 September 2010|work=Vanity Fair|accessdate=7 September 2010}}</ref><ref name="NYT01">[https://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/09/29/arts/20100930_Penn_slideshow-5.html Caption for still from William Gibson’s play "Two for the Seesaw."] Photo credit Arthur Cantor; from "Looking Back at Arthur Penn" slide show; ''The New York Times'', September 30, 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-04.</ref> Instances of two-handers may include theatre, film, television episodes, television series, and radio.
== Radio == * ''The Bickersons'' * ''Ethel and Albert'' consisted mostly of two-handers. * ''John Finnemore's Double Acts'' * ''Vic and Sade''{{efn|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.}}
== Television series == * ''Dinner for One'' (1963){{efn|Originally a 1934 theater sketch, this 18-minute videotape of one performance is rebroadcast every Christmas or New Year's in parts of Europe.<ref>{{cite news |author=E.P. |title=People all over the world watch "Dinner for One" on New Year's Eve |date=2020-12-30 |work=The Economist |department=Culture |url=https://www.economist.com/prospero/2020/12/30/people-all-over-the-world-watch-dinner-for-one-on-new-years-eve |access-date=2025-04-21 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>}} * ''Un gars, une fille'' (1997) * ''Head Case'' (2007) * ''Web Therapy'' (2008) * ''In Treatment'' (2008) * ''Roger & Val Have Just Got In'' (2010)
==Television episodes== {{columns-list|colwidth=30em| * ''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"}}
== Theatre == {{columns-list|colwidth=30em| * ''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) }}
== Opera == <!-- Given this is the only Opera, it could be argued it should just be added to the list above --> * ''Love Counts'' (2005)
== Film == {{columns-list|colwidth=30em| * ''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) }}
==Notes== {{notelist}}
== References == {{Reflist|90em}}
Category:Drama Category:Two-handers