By Richard Watson
This March, the Huddersfield Thespians present a sparkling comedy about disaster on a fog-bound island.
What’s your worst memory of team-building exercises? Or of going outward-bound? It can’t be as bad as what happens to Pennine Mineral Water Ltd’s Team C on Bonfire Night, out in the Lake District.
Sheila has somehow been elected team captain, and with her cryptic crossword solving skills has got a head start on the other teams.
Unfortunately, the boat’s capsized and the drenched ladies are stuck on an island, while half their kit floats downstream. In November. So things could be better.
Our four middle-aged middle-managers are forced to face their barely-concealed resentments and secrets in order to make it through the night. Questions are asked; truths are told; dirty washing is aired.
To make matters worse, they’re not alone on the island. As night falls, something else is moving through the trees…
What should have been a bonding process for Denise, Julie, Fay and Sheila turns into a muddy, bloody fight for survival.
‘Sheila’s Island’ is a new comedy by Tim Firth, the writer of ‘Calendar Girls’ and ‘The Flint Street Nativity’, which have both been big hits for Huddersfield Thespians. He also wrote the Take That musical ‘Greatest Days’, and the Madness musical ‘Our House.’
His first full-length play was ‘Neville’s Island’, which was made into a film in 1998 and has now been adapted for an all-female cast: ‘Sheila’s Island.’
This is the Thespians’ third play of their 104th season, and the second at Longwood Mechanics Hall. The final play of the season will be Patrick Hamilton’s topical thriller, ‘Gaslight’, at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in June.
But for now, we’re settling down for a night on the island where team-building has gone horribly, horribly wrong. Think ‘The Office’ meets ‘Lord of the Flies.’
‘Sheila’s Island’ runs Wednesday March 13 to Saturday March 16 2024, at Longwood Mechanics Hall. 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee.
Tickets are available on the door and through Ticketsource at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/Huddersfield-Thespians.
Image by: DAVID WRIGHT
