Imagine being stuck on a desert island with three annoying colleagues.

Would you take charge, let someone else make all the decisions, give up or survive?

That was the choice facing four women in the Apollo Theatre's latest production, Sheila's Island, by Tim Firth.

But it was less a case of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and more Lord of the Flies by the end of this outward-bound team-building exercise that goes spectacularly wrong.

Four women are trapped together in the fog when their dinghy runs aground on a deserted island in the Lakes.

You have team leader Sheila (Carole Crow), wise-cracking Denise (Vicki Crook), reserved Julie (Julie Stonestreet) and unstable Fay (Caroline Read).

Directed by Apollo stalwart Michael Arnell (who also designed the effective set) and Kate Fysh, the first act was terrific, with plenty of laughs and the competent cast wringing everything out of the script.

However, things took a darker turn in act two as tempers flared but the treatment of Fay's mental health problems didn't sit comfortably.

This was an issue with the script, which seemed out of line with current attitudes, and not the performances, which were all very good.

The four actresses worked well together to give a really natural flow to the dialogue and the pace of the drama didn't flag.

Vicki was born to play the role of fed-up, sarcastic Denise. She really nailed the character and her comic timing was spot on. She seemed very comfortable and confident on stage, and was extremely funny but also delivered a more nuanced performance later in the play.

Carole was convincing as the hapless team leader, trying to smooth feathers but clueless about what to do when her team got into difficulty.

As quieter characters, Julie and Caroline came into their own as the play progressed, forcing us to re-evaluate our opinions as their pasts were revealed. Sound performances all round.

Mention must also go to the lighting and sound by Anthea and Stephen Weekes.

The disco boat scene and fireworks display were both very effective.