TO PLAY two different emotionally repressed men in one evening is quite a challenge.
To carry it off with such brilliance underlines the talent of Edward Fox, who undoubtedly is the star draw at the Yvonne Arnaud's double bill.
As the ailing, soul-destroyed Latin teacher at a boys' independent school in Terence Rattigan's The Browning Version and the egocentric show-off in JM Barrie's The Twelve-Pound Look, he fulfils the roles and more besides.
On the face of it, the parts seem custom made for the man who has played a variety of stereotypically cold Englishmen in productions such as Gandhi, A Bridge Too Far and the Day of the Jackal.
Rattigan's own take on the classic The Agamemnon demands a great versatility in the portrayal of Andrew Crocker-Harris, "the Crock", a seemingly cold, hard man unable to endear himself to anyone or to make himself understood.
Fox reveals huge sensitivity in baring the soul of a physically frail self-declared professional and social failure, and yet manages to create moments of great hilarity through his impeccable timing and delivery.
In the Twelve-Pound Look, one of JM Barrie's many plays overlooked in favour of Peter Pan, he plays Harry Sims, a successful, arrogant businessman reaquainted with the wife who left him.
This delightful short comedy once again focuses on a man unable to become fully involved with the world around him because of his cold, ruthless manner.
But this is a much more light-hearted look at the issue, a perfect backdrop to the bleak reality of the first play, allowing the audience to leave the theatre on a more upbeat note.
Fox takes his character to near farce in a hilarious scene as the play opens and he is rehearsing his knighthood ceremony.
And he remains very much in the same vein, completely ignorant of the complexities of the real world that lie on either side of the road to success.
Of course the performances can only work when set against a convincing backdrop and in this respect Fox is well supported.
Dominic Hecht, as schoolboy John Taplow in The Browning Version, delivers a riotous impression of the Crock, the highlight of a promising early role for the young actor.
He is encouraged in his prank by young master Frank Hunter (Richard Clothier) who provides the love interest for Millie Crocker-Harris (Sally Edwards, who also plays Harry Sims ex-wife Kate in The Twelve-Pound Look).
Their illicit dealings are the manifestation of the Crock's failings, especially so given his wife's openness about the affair.
Even the cast members playing minor characters have to be versatile enough to cope with two plays in this production which is boosted further by interesting yet conventional set designs.
The end result is a fully-rounded evening which will satisfy the theatre-going public that they have been treated to one of the country's finest actors amply supported by cast and crew in a well-oiled production.
The Browning Version and The Twelve-Pound Look run until tomorrow (Saturday, June 3).