The Argus: fringe_2011_logo_red_thumbThis was a comedy from Simon Birks, who also produces and features as Thomas, alongside Marielle Cottee playing Kat. Tom and Kat met as strangers both stationary, stuck and alone in their lives. The pun on the title soon became clear as Kat had an obsession with stationery, so much so that she was actually paid part of her wages in office products.

It was clear that this was a labour of love for the whole production team. There were some good one-liners and laugh-out-loud moments during the production, but it was difficult to warm to the neurotic character of Kat.

There were some actions by the characters which were a little difficult to believe – Kat chasing Tom around the hospital with a cactus for one – and some plot inconsistencies, such as the moment when Tom produced a printed cheque to give to Kat, for which he couldn’t have had the time to organise.

While the actors worked well together, it was difficult to understand what the two characters would see in each other. This was a little like a 1980s sitcom complete with stereotyping. There were lines in the play that could have been much funnier, and the actors could have benefited from tighter direction.

Simon Birks was particularly good as Tom and while the show was an entertaining experience, it had the potential to be more.