Neville’s Island (April)

Businessmen Go Mad in the Lakes

An hilarious tale about four middle-aged business men on a team-building exercise in the Lake District is the subject of Wythall Theatre Company's forthcoming production of Neville's Island by Tim Firth at Studley Village Hall next month.

The four succeed somehow in becoming the first people ever to get shipwrecked on a island on Derwentwater and what should have been a bonding process for Gordon, Angus, Roy and Neville turns into a muddy fight for survival.

Roger Warren plays Gordon, a man with an acid wit and biting sarcasm. Tony Lacey plays Angus, a man who arrives prepared for every eventuality with a bottomless rucksack.

The part of Roy, a man who has recently found God after a family bereavement, is played by Dave Key. Paul Hughes plays the ineffectual Neville, who tries to keep the rest of the team together when marooned on the island.

Paul, who is the press and publicity officer at the Palace Theatre, said: "The only thing the cast are not looking forward to is getting soaked every night before they take to the stage," a requirement of the play.

"However, the backstage crew take great delight in dowsing us using water sprays and sponges!"

Performances take place on Friday, April 2 and Saturday April 3 at 7.30 pm.

Tickets cost £7

Unkown, Redditch Advertiser Wednesday March 24 2004

Neville's Island

This was the first time I had seen a performance at the newly refurbished Studley Village Hall and it was the ideal venue for this Tim Firth play,with just one set design and four actors.

The Play centered around middle managers on a team building excercise who somehow manage to get stranded on Rampsholme Island On Derwent Water in the Lake District.

There was the well meaning Neville, played by Paul Hughes, acerbic but insecure Gordon Portrayed by Roger Warren, Tony Lacey's likeable but undemonstative Angus and the bereaved and newly religious Roy played by Dave Key.

They all played their parts superbly; running the full gamut of emotions and the audience clearly enjoyed it immensely.

The Play was billed as a comedy- and certainly there were laughs - but there was also a dark side, with such subjects as mental illness, class division, death and man's inability to express love.

The play was Anne Cherry's debut as Director and she can be very proud of her achievement and that of her talented cast.

Their next production is The memory of water at The Palace Theatre from May 19 - 22

Linda Morrison, Redditch Advertiser Wednesday April 7th 2004