A group of wild women emerge from a weekend bender to find a deadly virus has wiped out the male population. Their survival story is daft, surreal and totally liberating
It had me at “crab measles”, to be honest. If that doesn’t strike you as the perfect name for a virus capable of wiping out the entire male population, you will still enjoy Henpocalypse! – and you should certainly try as it will be good for you – but a barrier will probably remain between you and it. It’s a bit like how, if you aren’t a cradle Catholic, you will never quite understand why Mrs Doyle waiting all night, every night, by the light switch with a tea tray in case one of the priests gets a thirst on him at any point is so very right – and so very funny.
Anyway, onwards to the apocalypse, as written by Caroline Moran and not quite witnessed by her boozed-up party of five because they are holed up in an isolated cottage in Wales for a hen do. After a chaotic ride down from their native Birmingham, during which there is virtually no dialogue other than raucous screams and drunken laughter – accompanied by chief bridesmaid Shelly (Callie Cooke, nailing the stressed-big-sister vibe that attends the role) smashing into another car and driving away hastily without giving insurance details to its uptight owner – the party and the plot get going.
Henpocalypse! aired on BBC Two and is available on BBC iPlayer.
