Stoneham Theatre Stages NEVILLE'S ISLAND, Now thru 4/26

Stoneham Theatre has announced its production of the critically-acclaimed dark comedy Neville's Island, by the multi-award-winning writer of Calendar Girls, Tim Firth. Performances run from tonight, April 9-26, 2015.

Neville's Island premiered in 1992 at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in North Yorkshire, UK. In 1995, it was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy and won Best Play MEN Awards in 2006. It received its North American Premiere in New Mexico at Santa Fe Stages in 1996. Neville's Island was adapted for television in 1998, airing as a TV movie on the UK's ITV. Directed by Stoneham Theatre's Producing Artistic Director Weylin Symes, Neville's Island features an impressive island set, complete with water and a climbable tree, by Scenic Designer Chris Ostrom.

What should have been a corporate outing for a team building exercise turns into the amusing misadventures of four men and their primal fight for survival. In England's bucolic Lake District, Pennine Spring Water Limited's middle-managers Neville, Gordon, Roy, and Angus find themselves desperately out-of-shape and out-of-their-minds when they capsize their boat and strand themselves on a deserted island. As they wrestle with their environment, things go terribly and hilariously wrong.

"The British wit and charm of Neville's Island will appeal to fans of the TV series The Office," said Producing Artistic Director Weylin Symes. "The satire in the play highlights the struggles so many face within a corporate environment-group think vs. individuality, rational vs. emotional response, and leadership vs. anarchy. This struggle offers a great platform for a dark twist when the characters are deserted on an island and confronted with their instincts to survive, much like The Lord of the Flies."

Returning to Stoneham's stage for Neville's Island to play the role of Neville is Alexander Platt, last seen as Mr. Hyde in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Making their Stoneham Theatre debuts are Jim Loutzenhiser as Angus, Brooks Reeves as Roy, and Brandon Whitehead as Gordon.

Neville's Island opens on April 9, 2015 and runs through April 26, 2015. Performances are Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm & 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. The Press Opening is Saturday, April 11 at 3pm. There is a post-show talkback on Sunday, April 12, 2015. Tickets are $45-$50. Senior tickets are $40-$45. Student tickets are $15 (with a valid ID). For more information or to purchase tickets, call Stoneham Theatre's Box Office at 781-279-2200, or visit www.stonehamtheatre.org.