For many adults, Colomendy brings back memories of school trips, rainy walks up Moel Famau and the legend of Peg Leg.
Nicky Allt revisits the infamous venue in the brilliant new comedy Lost in Colomendy.
When friends Barry, Brian, Stan and Big H are sent on a team building retreat to Colomendy, their weekend descends into chaos when they’re separated on Moel Famau. Yet if they don’t reach the summit, their jobs may be on the line!
This fantastic, funny, five star comedy is one of the best productions you will be see this year.
Starring Liam Tobin, Paul Duckworth, Alan Stocks, John Evans and Jane Hogarth, this fabulous five are exceedingly good.
With an incredible chemistry and performances I could watch again and again, you often forget you’re in a theatre watching a show. Instead, you feel like you’re living this experience with the characters.
The dialogue throughout was well written and witty; a host of double intendres over the store tannoy leaving the audience grinning during act one.
Paul Duckworth’s cynical Brian delivered terrific one-liners, whether that be discussing old school memories or complaining about being lost. My jaw ached from laughing, particularly at Duckworth’s hilarious reactions during the climatic finale around the campfire.
The duologue between John Evans’ Big H and Liam Tobin’s Barry was laugh-out-loud. The juxtaposition of Evan’s serious H during the itinerary briefing, was perfectly matched by Tobin’s Barry, whose dry-witted summaries of the briefing were brilliantly timed.
Jane Hogarth as Helen and Alan Stocks as Barry were a joy to watch. The will-they-won’t-they of Helen and Barry’s relationship kept the audience gripped to their seats, while their back and forth dialogue left you crying with laughter.
The puppetry in act two was surreal but wonderful, as Barry shared his relationship woes with a rabbit on the hillside. Along with Evan’s cries when he finds Stan’s Pan on the mountain and Duckworth’s Rambo-esque adventure, the hilarity escalated until the room was filled wall to wall with laughter.
Of course, no school trip or retreat would be complete without a ghost story! As the legend of Peg Leg was retold by Barry, many audience members (including myself) jumped out of their seats! It was a testament to how engaging the cast were and how they gave the performances their all from start to finish.
The story flowed well, aided by the beautifully designed set. Using the original Royal Court Revolving Stage, the passage of time was seamless.
Whether you visited Colomendy or somewhere similar, this show will resonate with generations of audiences.
One of our must see shows, take an adventure in this five star comedy classic.
