Note: This review does not contain spoilers.

Risk is inherent in anything we do. At any point, things can go wrong for any little thing. You could spill your tea walking over to the computer to write a review. You could accidentally blind a performer with a laser pointer they’ve given you pre-show. You could learn to trust an MI3.5 Agent, only to have them betray you at the last. But you do these things anyway, because some things are worth the risk.

Two Girls One Gun is worth the risk.

A blend of sketch and long-form script, Two Girls One Gun is a goofy satire of spy films, directed by Katie Hill and performed by Nina Hogg and Phoebe Caldeiro (with Stage Manager cameos by Kelly Mui). From the moment we walk in, we’re greeted by Nina and Phoebe getting into their characters, chatting away with themselves and the audience, suspended from the ceiling by high wires that leave them dangling just above the ground. It’s some great Derp du Soleil shenaniganising right as we walk into the Stage.

From there, the energy shoots right up to the rafters and it never drops down. In a Bond-style theme song and sequence, Phoebe dazzles the audience with her amazing vocals and Nina is also singing. They play off each other so charmingly and completely sell us on the vibe that these two characters are going to be at each others’ throats for the entirety of the show. It’s daring chemistry and always feels playful.

Once the microphones are put away, the nature of the Stage, combined with the mix of speakers and non-mic’d dialogue, means that we’re often missing a lot of what the two performers are actually saying. It’s such a shame because when we can hear them clearly, there’s always a quick joke with a killer punchline that loses a bit of weight as the audience has to strain their ears.

Luckily, then, most of the gags are visual. As Vaja Steele (Caldeiro) and Titsa Dynamite (Hogg) come to blows, the show really shines as a showcase of their stagefighting talents. Every move is perfectly choreographed, with a great balance of realism and goofiness that has you laughing at one punch, then gasping at the next. They throw each other around, there are really meaty crunches when slaps land, and it’s always treading that balance between risky and safe.

All of the stuntwork looks dangerous. Part of what makes this show so engaging is the clear set up of a stunt that you’re not certain is 100% up to code. It leads to thrilling set pieces that could end horribly if the actresses weren’t completely trusting of each others’ skills. It is nail-biting drama, both narratively and physically. You feel like you’re watching a monk self-imolating; they really shouldn’t be doing that, you really respect the cause, and you cannot look away.

Nina Hogg is back at her Nina Hogg best. Never one to shy away from a double-entendre or an obscure reference (google Putin’s wives before seeing this show), Hogg performs jokes that she clearly adores and delivers them with a cheekiness that’s impossible not to smile along with. Phoebe Caldeiro nails her role as a bubbly, upbeat spy trying so desperately to be taken seriously in a lower tier spy agency. She always looks like she’s having fun and always takes control of the scenes she’s the star of. Rounding out the on-stage cast is Kelly Mui, who shifts stage props in almost total darkness, stumbling about while also doing a stellar job positioning these massive pieces perfectly. Her erratic movement adds to the show’s inherent goofiness, despite never saying a word.

Everything about Two Girls One Gun is a risk. Even the title is a reference that would go over most people’s heads, unless they were very online circa 2010? The stunts, the narrative, the jokes, all these things are played in a way that invites its audience to get on board or get left behind. In the end, all the stunts succeed, the narrative reaches a satisfying conclusion, and the jokes land (when they can be heard clearly). The risks pay off where they need to and everyone who gets on board is rewarded with a show that’s so charming and so engaging to watch. It’s a testament to Katie Hill’s direction that by the end, there are no dangling threads nor unsatisfactory bits. It all pulls together nicely.

Two Girls One Gun is a wonderful homage to the camper side of the spy film library. There is no grittiness here, just pure goofball energy and silly, fun times. The inherent risk present throughout the entire show beguiles the audience and keeps our eyes peeled on the unrestrained lunacy that Hogg and Caldeiro play into. It’s a pleasure to watch two performers just be themselves in a heightened spy story, and indulge in the tropes they so clearly love.

Octopussy.

Disclosure: As a somewhat active member of the Wellington performing arts community, I am quite familiar with a number of the performers in this show.
Having said that, I am not a liar, and there is zero bias in my reviews, shut up.

Also, tickets were provided to me for free by the production. Literally changes nothing, though.