World's End by Paul Sellar

This is one of those perfectly competent pieces of Fringe theatre that modestly succeeds on its own terms, but leaves you with a distinct feeling of “yes, but… so what?” It centres on a recently separated couple, Ben (Merryn Owen) and Kat (Fiona Button), focusing on the day that Kat moves her belongings out of the basement flat they used to share. Ben is a wreck, ranting copiously about the situation, whilst Kat smiles wanly, barking the odd angry interjection as she packs up every jot and tittle of their life together.

The main problem with this production is that Ben is an utter wanker, a character with absolutely no redeeming features that might enable the audience to feel a speck of sympathy for him. This is probably not intentional: he is meant to have some kind of roguish charm, which would explain Kat's anguish about leaving him, and vaguely excuse her best friend Thea's incomprehensible attraction to him.

Although each individual performance is satisfactory, there is no discernible chemistry between the characters. Ben is allowed to monologue far too often, with generally unfunny observations about the upper-class world that he envisages Kat entering with her new boyfriend. An attempt to evoke the grander theme of armageddon is also unsuccessful. For a play by such a well-established playwright, this offering is curiously dull and unrewarding.