World’s End at the Kings Head Theatre

Set in London 1998, energetic single mum Viv (Patricia Potter; best known for her iconic long running character Diane Lloyd in Holby City) and her shy, troubled son Ben (Tom Milligan; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, West End) are the new neighbours to single father and painter-cum-security guard Ylli and his confident, yet enigmatic son Besnik.

A subtle rumination on single parenthood, conflict, sexuality, videogames and the ways that trauma and oppression shape us, this piece is a deceptively gentle and achingly tender portrait of lives lived in the heart of a metropolis, yet squarely on the world’s edges. It is also an LGBT love story, told with immense pathos against a background of humanitarian tragedy… and The Legend of Zelda.

World’s End is a humorous, tragic yet heartwarming love story of the growing friendship and eventual relationship off two very different adolescents, meeting in their formative years and batteling through their personal problems to find love.  It is laugh out loud funny with real heart.  However this is also a show of family drama and tragedy that fails to build tension at key moments.

The energy picks up halfway through and the bond between the two male protagonists is a joy to witness as it progresses, the audience really roots for them.  There is a dramatic turn towards the end and as the realisation of the event sets in it has some truly heartbreaking moments for the audience, however, the show ends on a note of hope and perseverance.

It’s a show with a lot of potential but just needs a bit more work to really connect with the audience.  Ticket’s for World’s End start fro £29.50 and can be booked directly from the King’s Head Theatre website. Check out the rest of my London theatre listings if you are looking for a show.

Tickets were complimentary in exchange for review