Channel Surfing at the End of Days – Hen & Chickens Theatre, Highbury & Islington

Writer & Director: Callum Pardoe

Reviewer: Christine Stanton

“Intriguing Concept”

3 / 5

Callum Pardoe’s apocalyptic anthology glimpses the lives of various characters within their last few moments on Earth. Funny, moving and thought-provoking, it’s an intriguing snapshot into humanity.

The majority of the characters are unnamed, played in rotation by the cast of four – Matt Williams, Natasha Mula, Joe Stanton and Eleanor Cobb. Presented as a series of vignettes, scenes range from twenty seconds to five minutes, each capturing the final moments before an unexplained event ends life on Earth. Occasionally they are very short, and very humorous – a man idly sitting in a coffee shop politely talking to a waitress, or an actress practicing her lines. These mini scenes are balanced out well with slightly longer offerings – two friends trying to get fitter, or two people hooking up for the first time. Some of the longer ones last just a beat too long and occasionally feel a little repetitive, though overall the varying lengths of each sketch help to keep the audience engaged throughout.

There is also a well balanced level of variety within each offering – an enjoyable mix of sad, funny or concerning to really embed the realism of people’s last moments. Many storylines around an apocalypse focus on big gestures or extravagant experiences – but if such an event did ever occur, these ordinary moments that Pardoe focuses on are the ones that are most likely for the majority! This angle helps to shape mundane moments in a more interesting manner, and is a strong, unique idea to base a show on. It would be great to have more of an ‘end of the world’ message woven through, as without the show description there’s no real indication in the actual script that flags it is their last moments – a loud bang signifies the end of each scene but anyone walking in with no prior understanding of the foundation would probably be a little confused at the varying scenes.

Each of the cast interact well with eachother, and adapt to the differing genres and styles with ease. Some variety in accents or tone would help early on to differentiate new characters, as initially there is some confusion while the audience get to grips with the concept, but the cast quickly find their flow and deliver an enjoyable 60 minutes of entertainment.

Runs until 25th April 2026