Sheila’s Island – The King’s Arms, Salford

Something quite special has been slowly brewing over the last couple of years at the King’s Arms pub in Salford — and not just the excellent pint of Guinness. In this side-street boozer, incongruously wedged between Salford Central station and the bustling ring road, the husband-and-wife team of Colin and Lisa Connor have quietly established the tiny theatre nestled in the roof as a prime destination to see challenging and rewarding productions in the city centre. This dynamic duo have now taken the next step in their development by creating The Kings, a company of actors and creatives designed to showcase the wonderful talent our regional theatre network offers.

First out of the blocks for The Kings is Sheila’s Island by Tim Firth, a reworking of his earlier Neville’s Island from 1992, which detailed the comedic descent into savagery of four businessmen stranded on an island in the Lake District during a team-building weekend. The original play highlighted toxic masculinity in the workplace and the resentments of hierarchy and class, and reviews at the time suggested to Firth that women might behave very differently under similar pressures. His response came in 2019 with this updated piece which, while retaining the chaos and underlying brutality of the original, differentiates the unique stresses women face in the workplace.

We are introduced to the four characters as they arrive onstage gasping and soaking wet, sand, pebbles and seaweed littering the floor while audience members, perched on high stools and low seating, sit within touching distance of the action. This darkly intimate space, lit only by strings of bulbs overhead and a few subdued spotlights, creates an eerie atmosphere and presages the darker themes that emerge from the slapstick comedy opening. The eponymous Sheila (Emma Laidlaw) leads Fay (Fiona Boylan), Julie (Lisa Connor) and Denise (Jenny Jordan-O’Neill), although it quickly becomes clear that her love of cryptic crosswords and astrology has caused her to massively overcomplicate the clues the team were given, leading them to a remote island in the middle of Derwentwater rather than down the road to the local pub. The realisation that they have no food and little in the way of survival skills leads to some predictable hilarity, but darker elements begin to take precedence as the piece progresses, with resentments and secrets coming to the fore, culminating in bitterness and angry honesty.

As director, Colin Connor builds the mood of the piece with an assured hand, the audience enjoying musical choices illustrating the scenes, from REM to The Charlatans via 10cc, lyrically commenting on proceedings with wit. For the most part, he navigates the restrictions imposed by the tight stage space well, although there were moments where actors addressed away from sections of the audience, making dialogue harder to follow. Onstage, while Fay and Sheila build toward a believable climax of emotional rage, Denise feels too loud and angry from the outset, and her eventual verbal castration at the hands of Sheila does not quite deliver the required payoff.

There is little doubt the chemistry between the four actors will coalesce as the run continues. Firth’s writing requires quiet exposition contrasted with explosive rage, and the characters need space to develop gradually. The clarity of motivation in certain scenes is lacking, particularly regarding Fay and her relationship with Lucy, which remains underexplained. Connor, in the role of Julie, the mousy Human Resources manager, best exemplifies the seething anger and resentment beneath a cheery exterior, her positive outlook slowly melting away to reveal frustrations long buried, resulting in a fully rounded performance.

Nevertheless, this production marks a promising start for The Kings. With continued development, the company appears well positioned to contribute significantly to the region’s theatrical landscape in the months ahead.

Reviewer: Paul Wilcox

Reviewed: 11th February 2026

North West End UK Rating: