Two Halves of Guinness at Park Theatre Review
Written by Philip for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review. All views are our own
Looking back on his life, Sir Alec Guinness grapples with questions of parentage and the enduring absence of his father. It is a quiet but persistent thread of uncertainty—of identity, of belonging, of what might have been. Mark Burgess’ play, concluding its 2026 UK tour with a run at the Park Theatre, explores these tensions with warmth and wit.
This one-man show traces Guinness’ journey from modest beginnings to the rarefied heights of Academy Awards and a knighthood, all the while circling an unresolved sense of self. Told largely in the first person, the piece unfolds almost as a conversational memoir addressed to the father he never knew—a shadowy, ever-present absence. Along the way, a host of figures from Guinness’ life emerge: John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier, Edith Evans, his wife Merula Salaman and many others, alongside glimpses of the characters he immortalised on stage and screen. The piece touches on his relationship with his mother, his sexuality, his time in the Navy, his faith and all of Alec Guinness’ best roles, culminating in Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars and his role as George Smiley in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Zeb Soanes captures Guinness’ distinctive voice and dry humour with remarkable precision. His performance is both commanding and deeply affecting, balancing authority with an undercurrent of loneliness. He shifts seamlessly between roles, conjuring a vivid gallery of personalities—from towering theatrical greats to small, sharply observed cameos of everyday figures. The result is a performance that is as humorous as it is poignant, illuminating the full spectrum of Guinness’ life.
Lee Newby’s set evokes a striking sense of the “blank canvas”—a concept often associated with the actor’s craft. It is an apt and thoughtful nod to Guinness himself, a master of transformation. Selina Cadell’s direction is assured, guiding Soanes through this demanding solo performance with clarity and control. Burgess’ writing is, for the most part, witty, warm, and reflective, though it occasionally strays from its central focus. While the play gestures toward Guinness’ struggle with identity, it stops short of fully interrogating it. Indeed, its themes are touched upon rather than explored in depth, giving the piece a somewhat episodic, “dot-to-dot” quality rather than a sustained deep dive. It just leaves the piece a little lost at times. If it were purely biographical, I think it would work a little more fluidly.
Overall, Two Halves of Guinness is a charming and engaging production. However, it may benefit from further refinement to clarify its central purpose. Whether it seeks to be a biographical portrait or a more probing meditation on identity remains slightly uncertain, leaving the play itself with a faint echo of the very questions it raises.
Two Halves of Guinness runs at Park Theatre until 2nd May.
★★★
