Review: One Breath Before the End, Union Theatre

One Breath Before the End at the Union Theatre is not listed on the venue’s website. There are no flyers, no posters, and little fanfare. Tonight is, in fact, a workshop run-through of a work still in development. But what unfolds in this humble railway arch theatre space is a gripping piece of new writing that already brims with dramatic instinct and creative clarity.

Playwright Stephen Leach explained before the performance that this is an early showing. No expectations, he says, and no need to review. But it would feel remiss not to give this show the response it deserves: this is a promising piece of new theatre.

The premise is bold and instantly effective: an apocalyptic event is set to take place outside at 5.30 am. We join three long-time friends sheltering in their childhood den, a dimly lit car park, while they wait for the end of the world. The tension is built with economy and flair, as the script quickly sketches out relationships, stakes and backstories.

Two of the friends, twin brothers Oliver (played by Lewis Noble) and Kieran (James Chetwood), are joined by their friend Ash (Max Robson). Soon, an apparently uninvited and unwelcome fourth person arrives: Phoebe (Jessica Saunders), an unexpected and divisive presence who is the fulcrum of the plot’s remaining unfolding mysteries.

There’s a creeping unease to this piece, as the four characters navigate old tensions, hidden truths and growing uncertainty. The apocalyptic premise is used cleverly and mysteriously, more like a pressure-cooker backdrop than a centrepiece. The storytelling is taut, character-driven and grounded, punctuated with flashes of humour that help temper the growing dread. The idea of a countdown gives the whole piece a ticking clock urgency that works brilliantly.

The Union Theatre’s rough-and-ready space suits the production well. A few low explosion effects help drive the sense of unease, and uncanny sense of mystery. However, these got muddled with the sounds of trains running overhead which muddied the pacing a little, one of the few disadvantages of staging at this venue. 

Tonight’s is a stripped-back performance, with actors reading from scripts, but the emotional commitment is total. Noble delivers a standout turn as Oliver, full of brooding menace and repressed rage. His physical presence is powerful, his anger palpable. Chetwood offers an effective counterweight as twin Kieran: he is playful, warm and expressive. 

Saunders tackles the complex role of Phoebe with depth and commitment, though the character’s psychological arc remains slightly underdrawn. There’s ambiguity about who Phoebe is now, in the context of what we learn she has been through. Similarly, Robson makes strong choices as Ash, but the character’s response to Phoebe’s arrival feels inconsistent at times, especially given the high stakes. These are important elements that need to be unpicked and reworked before restaging the work. The culpability for the life-changing incident ten years ago that triggers the events in the play needs to be conceived more tightly, even though it’s not staged, in order to place the characters more firmly in a plausible present. 

What is already here is a compelling piece of theatre with a strong conceptual core, rich character dynamics, and a voice that deserves to be heard. One Breath Before the End is still finding its final shape, but the bones are strong. This is a piece worth following, and Leach a writer to watch.

Written by Stephen Leach
Directed by Mimi Collins

One Breath Before the End has finished its current run.