What’s it all about?
Four middle aged, middle managers find themselves stranded on an island after one wrong turn on an outdoor pursuits bonding exercise leads them, quite literally, up sh*t creak without a paddle… or food…
To add insult to injury, one is a cantankerous bully, one an insecure neurotic and the other mentally unhinged. Only Neville, the appointed captain of the group, has enough wits about him to keep everyone else from killing one another as hunger – and office politics – kicks in.
Who’s in it?
Rarely has the West End boasted such a stellar cast of comic performers as a quartet of stars eek every awkward moment, catty remark, irritated comeback and bullying banter out of Tim Firth’s classic, chaotic, crisis comedy.
Neil Morrissey leads as Neville, the most likeable of the four; keeping a stiff upper lip and joviality in the company of three of the least likely candidates for companions you’d ever wish for when stranded on a damp wooded island in the middle of the Lake District.
There’s Robert Webb’s heartstring pulling Roy, who is more interested in bird watching than survival; Miles Jupp’s continually het up Angus, whose comical rucksack is filled with goodies more suitable for the Arctic Circle than a drizzly England; and, playing the most objectionable colleague you could ever dream up, Adrian Edmondson’s bullish Gordon, who is physically unable to let even a minute pass without passing yet another charmless, bitter or downright cruel judgement on his companions.
What should I look out for?
Webb’s rendition of Roy’s self-penned hymn God Is In The Fridge, the front row of the stalls wearing plastic ponchos and Robert Innes Hopkins’ show-stealing set complete with murky river that, in one particularly physical scene featuring the intrepid, soaked through foursome, reveals the need for aforementioned rainwear….
In a nutshell?
If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise: four grumpy men, one sausage and a huge machete to be exact.
What’s being said on Twitter?
@Ginger_Pig Neville’s Island at @dukeofyorksLDN last night was superb. Great performances from a marvellous cast, and that set!
@LauraCharman Yes I am still gushing about the Neville’s Island set. I blame a childhood full of camping trips. But it’s beautiful.
Will I like it?
If you’re a comedy fan itching to see any one of the foursome on stage, you won’t be disappointed; Edmondson is perfectly despicable, Webb hilariously unpredictable, Jupp a simmering pot of tense energy and Morrissey amusingly resigned to his fate as peacemaker. Even if Firth’s comedy turns out not to be your cup of tea, Hopkins’ seemingly living and breathing forest set is worthy of a standing ovation alone…
Neville’s Island is playing at the Duke of York’s Theatre until 3 January. You can book tickets through us here.