Interview: 'You Sing Because Speech Does Not Convey What You're Feeling': Actors Sam Tutty and Dujonna Gift on TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK)

Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York), a two-hander musical, has opened at the Kiln Theatre. The show, starring Sam Tutty and Dujonna Gift, tells the story of Dougal, an optimistic British man flying to New York, and Robin, a cynical New Yorker. What happens when the two meet for a wedding in the City That Never Sleeps?

BroadwayWorld spoke with Sam Tutty and Dujonna Gift about what it has been like to be a part of this new musical. We discussed what rehearsals have been like, the creative process for Two Strangers and what makes this show so revolutionary in its message.

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Tell us a bit about Two Strangers and your roles in the show?

Sam: I play a lovely lad called Dougal who’s been described as an impossibly upbeat, optimistic person. I'm heading to New York to go to my father's wedding, and that's where I bump into at the airport, Robin! Take it away, Dujonna!

Dujonna: Hi! I play Robin, and Robin is your stereotypical 20-something-year-old trying to figure it out, living in a bustling city where you're made to feel very small, but made to feel like you should have big dreams. And I meet someone who is very content with the life they live, but also, we are both yearning for more. We come to realise that sometimes a mirror appears in the person that you would have never expected.

Sam: Yep! Both characters allow each other, eventually, to see themselves for who they not necessarily want to be, but who they need to be.

What made you want to be a part of the show?

Sam: I've always found a one-hander or two-hander something really, really impressive. It's a very attractive challenge to take on. And I found the script very naturalistic. They blended really well into the songs, which I find a really important part of theatre because I really have this vexing moment where it's, “Talking, talking, talking. And now we're singing, just because we've got to make sure it’s a musical.” You sing because speech does not convey what you're feeling anymore. It's not enough, I need to transcend this or transmute this into a singing format. It's very tight, it's very believable and it's a very honest show.

Dujonna: For me, I think my vendetta with some musical theatre is that as soon as we enter a song, we're taken away from the realism of how the character actually feels, and it's this huge version of their feelings. Sometimes, you can feel something really small and that small thing can still be told through song. It doesn't have to be this huge power ballad, but it can still have the same level of honesty. And I think that's what this show does. The way that Kit and Jim have written it, everything is there for a reason, from a ding in a song to a flicker in a light bulb. Reading through the script, I was able to so clearly see what the show could be and very quickly connect with Robin and her understanding of the world. And like Sam said, to be able to do that in the form of a two-hander is so exposing, and an opportunity very few people get to do in the form of a musical. So I'm very grateful to be a part of it.

That actually leads me to my next question! What is it like performing with just two people in a musical?

Dujonna: Well, we both leave the stage once throughout the whole show. And that is solely to change costume. I came to my own conclusion that it perpetuates the idea that life is still going on, and thoughts and feelings are still happening. Just because you're off stage doesn't mean that you're not still existing within the story. There is some kind of beauty but then also a challenge in that you're constantly on.

We've both been in shows where it's like, “Okay, this moment isn't about us,” so we can completely remove ourselves and feel like, “Let me just reset before I go back on,” whereas there's no time to reset - you’re constantly on. And that is a challenge in itself. But then also having to be forced to just listen to each other. Anything I say will affect how Sam delivers his next song or his next monologue. It's always being aware of each other, aware of proximity, delivery and tension. It’s a new experience for both of us.

Sam: It's also really fun being a part of a piece where there hasn't really been an established production of this show beforehand. It's certainly a fantastic experience to be working with the writers directly, who are very open to change and open to discussion on polishing the characters. One of the first things all of the creatives said to us was that there was going to be a point, eventually, within this rehearsal process, where we are going to be closer to the characters than they are.

Despite Kit and Jim working on the show for over eight years now, because of how we work as actors, we have a more nuanced understanding of the character. So we are really open and welcome to say, “How about instead of this, I say it like this? Or I say this instead of that?” And that's a really fantastic organic process to be a part of.

What has it been like being a part of not only the rehearsal, but the creative process for this?

Dujonna: It's been a very beautiful experience. Both of us have been in shows in the past where to some degree, you're painting by numbers. You're told, “At this point, so and so goes from number one to number eight on the stage.” Whereas now, we're able to say, “Okay, I need to get to number eight, but it doesn't feel natural for me to go there.” And then we're able to work with Tim, our director, and try and find, “What does that mean for where we need to get to next?” And whatnot.

Having that level of creative control over the person we are becoming on the stage gives you a lot more freedom and allows you to connect with more honesty to them as a person rather than, “I just need to be in this place at this time, because that's the direction I’ve been given.” And that's the great part of being part of a new musical. But it does come at the cost of every day, there might be a new change, or you might not want to get too comfortable with one particular way of doing something because at some point, Sam might make a choice that now affects me in a different way. Always having to listen and be present in something can get exhausting, but it’s the most beautiful part of the process.

What do you hope audiences take away from Two Strangers?

Sam: I think the show does a real good job at not kind of crushing itself under the weight of itself. It's not trying to be overly profound, but it gives access to people who just want to be human. This show allows people to recognise that it's okay to make mistakes, it's okay to work on those mistakes. Trying to find redemption isn't always a way forward - you need to recognise at first who you are, and I think this show really allows an access to that mindset.

Within the show, our characters eventually allow each other to see themselves for who they need to be. Kit, our writer, has done a fantastic job of blending that to a beautiful conclusion within the show. You recognise it before you even realise it - that's the narrative. When I was reading the script, I didn't realise what they've done for each other until it had already happened. [Laughs] Being part of the physical process of that is really fascinating to see. As an actor, when am I going to make that choice that the audiences might recognize, but won’t realise until it's already happened? 

Dujonna: Also, it does a great job of showing that acceptance and happiness and peace is something that you have to find within. You can't look outward for validation - you have to see yourself. And sometimes, you have to see other people in order to see yourself. That's why I made the comment earlier about a mirror. We are very much mirrors to each other of what it means to be happy, what it means to accept our current situations and how we can do that. And that's one of the biggest truths that we as humans face. It's a very real and honest piece of work. Even just as a person, I learned so much from Sam within the rehearsal room. 

Sam: Vice versa, as well!

Dujonna: And that is then something I can translate as Robin learning from Dougal. And so it makes you think and see the bigger picture of what life is and what life can be in that sometimes, things just don't matter. [Laughs]

Do you have a favourite line in the show?

Dujanna: Personally, “I'm not going backwards, I'm just going home.” Because I think a lot of the time, and especially as creatives, feeling like we're going backwards is something we're scared of. A lot of the time, we're in an industry that tells us we need to be constantly moving forward, because other people are constantly moving forwards - it's a race and you're constantly put against other people, so you're naturally forced to watch and see where other people are in proximity to where you are. That’s something that the average creative manifests into their life, that you need to be always doing something going somewhere. That line just makes me realise sometimes, it doesn't matter how far and how fast you're going. If you're not going back home and centering yourself, you'll eventually just feel lost. And that's a feeling that I personally have felt many a time when I've not centred myself and come back to home, wherever home is at that time.

Sam: My favourite line is a spoiler, so I won't say that one! But my second favourite line is, “Concealment is the essence of seduction.” It’s just a funny line and I like saying it. Nothing profound about it!

Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York) runs until 20 January 2024 at the Kiln Theatre. 

Photo Credits: Marc Brenner

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