"Sometimes you have to go a long way out of your way to come back a short distance correctly!" A sentiment similar to this is said several times by Jerry played by Phil Nichol. Peter (Graham Elwell) is sitting quietly reading on his usual bench in Central Park, it is a quiet Sunday afternoon and he is enjoying the peace and quiet. Suddenly he is bothered by a wasp, after Peter has chased it off, Jerry appears and walks past, the wasp returns and Jerry watches fascinated until Peter is pushed too far and kills the wasp. It is in that moment fate is set and the battle for the bench if not life itself began/begins. I had not seen or heard of the play before and went in with no expectations. Although Geoff has followed Phil Nichol’s stand up career for some time I have only managed to see him in plays. I have admired his acting talents in ’12 Angry Men’ ‘One flew Over the Cuckoos Nest’ and ‘The Odd Couple’, but was bowled over by this performance, starting off seemingly simple, progressing to overly animated, degenerating to manic and finally totally animalistic. Graham Elwell is a new entity to me, his character goes from slightly annoyed submissive listener to defender of his privacy and routine until he too is dragged down to the basis of human nature one step up from animalistic. I didn’t read (couldn’t suss out) the direction in which the playwright Edward Albee was going at all and it was one heck of a shock when we reached the end!  I came out shaking all over thinking ‘Oh My God! Oh My God!’ it has taken me nearly two hours to calm down a little. The direction by Maggie Inchley is extremely clever and sensitive, but I would like to know how much input the two performers had. I have seen some very good shows this fringe but very few with such an immediate reaction, or the incessant wish to sit through it all again immediately. Sadly though I am restricted to five stars, as I would have given it at least a six!! *****