NEVILLE’S ISLAND – A COMEDY IN THICK FOG
by Tim Firth
Directed by Devon Putnam
Performed at the Kulturzentrum Brotfabrik
From 20 – 24 November, 2018
Neville’s Island was the first full-length play written by British playwright, Tim Firth. It was commissioned by Alan Ayckbourn and features an all-male cast of inept characters, at least when it comes to coping with outdoor survival in the middle of England’s Lake District. The four men embark on their company’s team-building exercise, following a series of clues meant to guide them on their quest. Neville, voted team captain, is a crossword puzzle fanatic and reads the clues in a much more cryptic manner than intended. As a consequence, the four find themselves boat-wrecked on an island in the middle of Derwent water and only a few hundred meters from civilisation. Gordon plays a continuous blame game using his biting sarcasm as they face various challenges. Obsessive-compulsive Angus is pushed to the limit, and doo-lally Roy? What he is up to is anyone’s guess. The experience is one of both self-discovery and revelation as their protective shells are peeled back layer by layer to reveal their true personalities. Tim Firth shows his mastery at finding humour even under dire circumstances.