They succeeded in being the first people to get ship-wrecked on an island in Derwent Water.

Well that’s according to writer Tim Firth, the man who made the Calendar Girls’ story famous.

Not content with putting ladies on a mission into the spotlight, Tim then did the same for a bunch of blokes.

Although they had a very different sort of challenge to deal with.

Now Halifax Thespians is taking on his terrific comedy, Neville’s Island.

On TV in the Nineties with a cast which included Timothy Spall and Martin Clunes, it was described as a fog-bound comedy.

See for yourself when this latest stage production for the Halifax company opens next Tuesday (September 3) at Halifax Playhouse.

The premise is simple. Four middle-aged, out of condition businessmen head for the Lake District on a team building exercise.

As you might expect, disaster follows and they get themselves marooned in the middle of the lake.

That bonding process turns into a muddy, bloody scrap for survival.

What took place on Neville’s island that foggy November weekend none of this particular middle-management team would ever forget.

Alistair Cheetham, who has long worked with Huddersfield Thespians as both actor and director, has volunteered to be marooned alongside Craig Tucker, Terry Baynham and Richard Taylor – all very experienced actors.

Leighton Hirst, who has directed a number of shows in Huddersfield, is using his design and set building skills on this production.

He and his team have spent several weeks building a set which the company says is alone worth the ticket price.

The production is directed by Yvonne Kniveton and Derek Smith.

The show runs from September 3-7 with evening performances at 7.30pm and a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.