In many peoples’ eyes, the heart and soul of a community is in their local pub.

Well, let’s face it, at times you do see life played out in your village or town ‘local’, especially after one or ‘Two’ of the regulars have had a few!

The latest production by Monmouth-based Off Centre Theatre, Two, by playwright Jim Cartwright dug a whole lot deeper, exploring ‘life behind closed doors’ played out in the setting of a lively 1980s Northern inn, the ‘Dog and Duck’

The characters are as diverse as you would find in any pub, however the packed house on all three nights was treated to surprises, shocks, and at times hilarious revelations as the regulars exposed their intimate thoughts and inner characters.

The play, directed by the experienced Debbie Fowler, provoked all manner of reactions, and certainly pricked a conscience or ‘Two’.

The play opened with the quarrelsome landlord and landlady, superbly portrayed by Phil Davies and Jane Rodgers who bickered their way throughout the evening until the awful backdrop to their indifference was finally revealed.

Their young son had been killed in a tragic car accident.

Amid their unfolding story an Old Woman (Therese Casemore) bemoans her hard life, cleaning up after her husband, Moth (Thom Wade).

He is ladies’ man, chatting up every woman in the pub until disturbed by his long-suffering girlfriend, Maudie (Sophie Stevens).

A good-natured old man quietly supping his pint, imagining his late wife was with him at all times.

Mrs Iger (Anne MacFarlane), frustrated by her husband’s limited stature and inability to get a drink from the bar venting her spleen, but eventually seeing some endearing features in her ‘lickle man’ (Geoff Manning).

The controlling and ultimately violent Roy (Tony Summers), slapping the down-trodden Lesley (Renske Bouwens) into submission in dramatic fashion draws gasps from the audience.

Then the slightly tipsy Other Woman (Eileen Summers), rushes into the pub but fails to confront ‘her man and his wife’.

The play ended with the landlord and landlady finding common ground in their grief.

The landlady had been driving when their son was killed.

The words spoken by the landlord, “I didn’t blame you,” bringing some solace to the distraught couple.

Off Centre Theatre celebrated its 30th anniversary last year.

Since then it has staged more than 120 productions.

For more information about the group visit www.offcentretheatre.co.uk

•See this week’s Review for more photographs.