Tim Firth's play..

Neville's Island

How to follow all the excitement of our 50th Anniversary Year - that was the question! As it turned out, the question was almost answered for me as, due to the unpresidented situation of several members being unavailable to be involved this autumn, because of job problems, holidays, weddings, etc., for the first time in my directing career, I was able to choose a play with a small cast.

Choosing the right play for the right cast is a nightmare, especially as so many other factors have to be taken into consideration - can we afford it, can we stage it and, most importantly, can we cast it to the standard St. Ursula Players have set for themselves? When I found "Neville's Island", happily the answer to all these questions was a resounding "Yes". Playwright Tim Firth is probably best known for his script of "Calendar Girls" and the musical "Our House" (with music by Madness) for which he won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 2003. He has written extensively for television including being the creator and sole writer of the BBC comedy "Preston Front".

"Neville's Island" was first produced in the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough in 1992 with Alan Ayckbourn directing and it subsequently transferred to the West End where it had a very successful run. It has also been made into a film with Martin Clunes and Timothy Spall. The setting of the play has proved quite a challenge for our designer. A naturalistic setting was definitely called for, which was also a considerable challenge for the construction team! It is not often that a chain-saw features in the back stage crew's list of essential tools, but on this occasion it certainly did! We have produced several plays that required `water features'- though not of the "Gardeners' World" variety - and here we did not shirk providing the cast with plenty of opportunity to wade through the murky waters of Derwentwater in the Lake District. So, in case you are wondering, yes, they really are soaking wet and, yes, a considerable number of washing machines and tumble driers have been going flat out all this week!

"Neville's Island" has its darker under tones, but this has definitely been one of the funniest plays we have every rehearsed, and the final question I have been asking myself is - why on earth haven't we done it before? I obviously could not have considered this play without the commitment of a splendid cast - all four characters are rarely off stage - a talented designer and a wonderful construction and technical crew - my sincere thanks to the whole company. I sincerely hope that you, our valued audience, will sit back and enjoy the exploits of Neville, Gordon, Angus and Roy as they fight for survival during that never-to-be-forgotten 24 hours on "Neville's Island".