It’s Bonfire night and Sheila (Rosetta Parker), Denise (Jo Webster), Julie (Sophie Brogan), and Fay (Lynn Aconley) are Team C in Pennine Mineral Water Ltd.’s annual outward-bound team-building weekend. Somehow, Sheila has been nominated team leader, and, using her cryptic crossword solving skills, has unwittingly stranded her team on an island in the Lake District.
Our intrepid heroines find themselves manufacturing weapons from bras and spatulas and create a rescue flag with plastic plates and a toasting fork.
Questions are asked; truths are told; dirty washing is aired: is it possible to build an adequate night shelter with a prom dress? What is Julie’s husband really up to in Aldi? And why are they on this team building exercise when they could be at a spa?
The only one with all the answers is director Tracey Duffy with this all-female reimagining from writer Tim Firth of his earlier piece, Neville’s Island, a humorous exploration of masculine toxicity, which hinted at there being a better, female-influenced world.
The set is fantastic capturing the barren location perfectly where our intrepid heroines experience their real journey of self-discovery, and the sound (John Duffy) and lighting (Graham Swift) effects provided an excellent accompaniment. Costumes were well considered with a good use of colour and a special mention to Linda Saavedra for her falcon.
Whilst the premise of the writing is a good one, it does present some challenges as well as missed opportunities in my opinion, but these are not the responsibility of Rainhill Garrick Society who, minor glitches aside which are to be expected on an opening night, turned in one of the better – if not best – performances of this piece that I have seen, with comic humour, dark drama, and edge of your seat suspense perfectly balanced as the serious issues of grief, religion, and mental health are explored.
There are a lot of scenes, and these were well handled, with all the cast performing strongly, and the audience appreciative throughout. The character of Sheila is very much a straight role until the end and Parker delivers capably throughout. Aconley captures the multi-faceted Fay with a sensitive portrayal and her first half monologue was particularly moving.
Brogan resisted the obvious temptation to play Julie just for laughs, instead showing a deeper and darker side as her character unravels which is often overlooked and I particularly enjoyed. Webster was at her comedic best capturing the in-your-face humour of Denise perfectly from the start with Tracey Duffy’s direction then shifting the balance to gain our sympathy if not understanding of Denise’s own plight, a subtle nuance often missed.
Rainhill Village Hall is a short walking distance from Rainhill Station (Liverpool-Manchester line) with free parking also available (post code for the hall is L35 4LU). There are also lot of amazing restaurants and bars in Rainhill village, so you could treat yourself before the show and make a night of it.
Sheila’s Island performs at Rainhill Village Hall from 15th-17th February at 7.30pm with tickets priced at £8 and available from Rainhill Post Office or by calling 01744 606067. Alternatively, tickets can be booked online via https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/rainhill-garrick-society.
Reviewer: Mark Davoren
Reviewed: 15th February 2024
North West End UK Rating: