The Lost Colony

Have owned a house on the OBX for about 7 years and this is the first time I went to see the show. Seemed an iconic thing that I should do. But it takes almost an hour to get there from Duck so I have always hesitated. I thought the costumes were gorgeous, the sets creative and the dancing and the singing first-​rate. I have to admit, I am not a history expert so I can’t really comment on the plot and its accuracy. But I can say I had a hard time understanding some of the actors who were putting on thick British accents. Especially «Old Tom» who was a comic character and was using a heavy Cockney accent and sort of laughing through a lot of lines. Couldn’t understand a word he said.
I did not have bug spray on, but it seemed like everyone else did and a curtain of «Off» surrounded me so I was fine. Every seat in the house is good. You might actually want to be at least half way back so you can see the action on the side stages better.
The $ 30 ticket price was probably a little high, but since I probably will never go back, it was okay, for once.

If I could give The Lost Colony 0 stars I would. This play is drawn out, boring, over dramatized, and just plain wrong. The whole thing is littered with historical inaccuracies and offers zero educational value. If you take young children to this looking to gain some kind of historical knowledge you will probably just end up turning them off to history. Furthermore, no self respecting person over the age of 10 should be seen at this play.
I think the only way to sum up this play is that ‘The Lost Colony’ is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever seen. At no point during it’s rambling, incoherent plot, was it even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone that watches it is now dumber for having sat through it. I award it 1 Star, and may god have mercy on their souls.”

We attended June 2015 with tickets that included the character dinner and backstage tour.
The character dinner was held inside an air conditioned building. During the meal, friendly actors circulated amongst the round tables answering questions and posing for photos. Dinner consisted of Pizza Hut pasta and an iceberg lettuce salad. I wish the coordinators would arrange catering from one of the local restaurants. Salad and pasta from a local caterer can surely be arranged at a similar price point as Pizza Hut while also elevating the meal experience. 1 star for the character dinner but 5 for the actors.
The backstage tour immediately following the dinner was well done. Everyone we encountered backstage had a smile despite the oppressive heat. 5 stars.
Following the tour, we took our seats about 15 minutes before the performance. The child in our group thought the show was «awesome». I enjoyed it as well. I held back a tear during the massacre of the tribe during the first act. Well done! I did feel uncomfortable during the second act with the comedic introduction of a Native female love interest. I hope that character can be updated next season. The special effects and battles were well done and had us all on the edge of our seats.
I highly recommend attending the performance and the backstage tour. It was a memorable evening for all of us.

Awesome play! Very exciting & entertaining. I really enjoyed the history & the story. We took 2 girls 8 & 9 & they were shocked by the action I think. Very family friendly. I would recommend the play & the back stage tour. The dinner was not great. It was catered by Pizza Hut & you didn’t get much.

What a wonderful play! We did the VIP tour which is fairly new. Meeting characters from the play and getting a backstage look at the production is awesome. What great working conditions! The view was so beautiful. Maybe one day the meal before the show can be in the Elizabethan style! Right now its catered by Pizza Hut which is OK. We went on a perfect night… weather was perfect… bugs are normally a problem but we used dryer sheets stuffed everywhere… and I mean everywhere… and it worked! I look forward to our next trip to this show as well as their new productions coming out in September. Go see it… you won’t be sorry.

The show is always good! We love how it ends a little difft. Each season! Bring some bug spray!

I love the national park service. I think TPS is one of the best things the US government has established for the well being of the land and history. This park offers hiking trails, gardens, and a visitors center with exhibits and a 17 minute historical video all for free!

Good play, gorgeous views — def a ‘must see’ when in OBX. Theatre was lovely, and the seats. let’s take a minute to talk about the seats… wide, comfy with lots of leg room. Ok so what it’s outside and it was about 100% humidity — while i was sweating my behind off at least I wasn’t cramped.
Tips:
1. Take the backstage tour. It wasn’t what I expected, but still nice to get a little insight into the show. Interesting to see the backstage.
2. Bring bug spray. LOTS.
3. Don’t buy the VIP package. You can buy the rain insurance, program and tour a la carte and save some money.
4. Smuggle in drinks — they don’t check your purses. The concession stand isn’t pricey, but why pay for water when you can bring it in yourself. Ditto with snacks.

This is one of those «must dos». I’ve been coming to OBX for 20 years although more regularly in the past 6 or 7. I went for the first time last evening. We slathered ourselves with bug spray ahead of time which was a good move and one I highly recommend. It rained some about an hour or so before the show but we were rain-​free during the show. The staff passed out paper towels to assist in drying off the seats. Overall, an interesting show from a historical perspective. I come from the DC area where there is good theater so I will give the acting 3 stars. But, for the price (~$ 29) it was worth it. Seats were comfortable. It was not all that crowded and we were on the second row. I would suggest rain insurance especially if you are attending near the end of your visit. Probably not good for real small kids.

My roommate and I visited his family beach home in the off season, so the grounds were deserted when we came. Even so, we got to see things in the area that most do not see, back stage, front stage… everywhere. And it was all good. This kind of feels like Jamestown, on a smaller scale.

Allow me to preface this review by sharing I do not have gads of theatre experience. I do, however, feel as though it is still acceptable for me to honor my feelings about my reaction to the play. While I was certainly able to see that lots of work went into the production, I honestly did not care for it one bit, am sorry I sat through it, and would absolutely not recommend it to others. Cons: The story was not consistently or clearly told from one act to the next. The entire play was too long. There was too much singing, too much bell ringing and too much musket shooting. The interpretive-​style dancing by the actors playing the Native American was a bit over-​the-​top. Pros: The costumes were gorgeous and the set/​props were great. The actors seemed committed to their roles.
About the outdoor theatre: I found the seating to be uncomfortable. I am of a average height/​size for a female, 5 ft. 6 in., and it was difficult for my feet to rest comfortably on the ground due to the height of the seats (was on the second row). I did have a constant clear view of the stage and the patrons in the first row never impeded my view. The bugs are definitely a problem. Expect mosquitoes and biting black flies. Even with bug repellent, our group of nine was very glad to wearing long sleeves and have beach towels to cover our legs (the towels are multi-​purpose since they’ll also possibly be necessary to dry your seat, in the event of rain). It did rain while we were there but they did not cancel. We were very glad to have had the forethought to purchase/​bring disposable rain ponchos (they are also sold in concessions for $ 3). My recommendation for attire would be dress comfortably and in light layers. Skip perfumes and body sprays but definitely have some sort of bug spray or wipe.
Also, younger children in attendance were a challenge. They could not follow the story line, asked lots of questions of their accompanying adult (s), all which caused for lots of annoying conversation during the production.
All that aside, if I had found the production to be more enjoyable, the rain, bugs, and chatty children would not have kept me from having a good time. ‘Lost Colony’ was just not my cup of tea.

Nicely produced and directed show. Mosquitoes weren’t as bad as we’d heard, but it was a little cooler than normal and we were coated in bug spray and could smell the natural repellent that the organizers use.
Acting, singing & costumes were great. The sound was a little muffled at times and required concentration to follow, which was hard with the small children who couldn’t sit still (it was free kids Monday).
Although the story was entertaining it was a long show, it was almost 11pm before we got back to the parking lot.
Strange thing was the show ended abruptly. Unlike the intermission when someone announced the intermission, at the end it just ‘ended’ and patrons just looked around at each other and eventually got up and left when the lights came on — it did seem a little strange — maybe if a bow from the actors isn’t called for someone could at least say ‘thank you for coming please drive safely’? or something to that effect.
Apart from the kids going free on Mondays deal you can also check the local tourist papers and magazines for discount coupons. I saw the $ 2off/​ticket coupon code in the ‘Sunny Day guide’ magazine the day after I’d ordered the tickets!

I enjoy learning about the history of an area when visiting, and for years have been tempted to go see a version of history in the production of «The Lost Colony». The show was entertaining, good acting, beautiful costumes, and it enticed my appetite to learn more about this era of history.
Recommendations:
Not for children under AGE 8 — or not yet in 3^rd grade — or for anyone else who cannot sit still for about 3 hours! PLEASE… keep your small child at home… even though they are FREE on Monday nights! Why? Every character has an accent, making it very difficult to understand what they are saying. Often the actors speak for several minutes at a time, in one spot, which does not keep younger kids entertained… and then the child will start crying/​speaking/​yelling for the attention of the adults they are with! (Which then makes those of us trying to listen want to start screaming at the adult to take the child home and put them to bed!!)
I do recommend the FREE costume exhibit showcasing the 75 years of the production. This was nicely done, and gave a good background to the show.
Bring the bug spray. Bring cash — the concession stand does not take credit cards and is run by the Lions Club. They have a clever tee-​shirt at the gift shop, «Don’t ask a local for directions — they lost a colony already.» First time I was tempted to purchase a tee-​shirt in years!
One last thing… if you liked the performance, applaud at the end. The actors do not come out to take a final bow.

The Lost Colony play is a must see when visiting OBX! The acting was great, the costumes were incredibly detailed, and the outdoor setting adds character to the scenes. Before heading to the play, be sure to visit the Lost Colony museum where you can read up on the different costumes, actors /​actresses, history of the Lost Colony play, etc.
Note: bring bug spray — there are a TON of mosquitos!

Great: Outdoor theater. The story.
Good: Performances, costumes.
OK: Mosquitoes. Not as bad as some say, but definitely bring bug spray.
Poor: Length. Too long. Possibly way too long. More/​bigger/​longer is not necessarily better. Would «Casablanca» have been better if it were 3 hours instead of 1:40? Someone needs to edit the performance.

Feel like supporting the lives of 500 million mosquittos under the guise of attending America’s longest running outdoor drama? If so, come here! You’ll be a captive audience for every bug within miles while you sit for 4 hours!
PS if you’ve got tickets for a show, and feel like eating before hand, allow 1.5 hours. Don’t show up to a local restaurant 30 minutes before showtime and demand the waitress hurry because you’ve got tickets. It’s just rude. You’re on vacation, relax.

So The Lost Colony is the longest-​running production, outdoor or not. That record is unlikely to be beaten anytime soon, since they have been going for 74 years now. That means that they started before Andy Griffith was born — and he apparently acted in some early shows (contrary to the current rumor, I did not actually see those performances).
What does that mean to you and I? Nothing, really. If you go on the backstage tour, you will learn the history of the show, and that it took them multiple iterations to figure out how to protect the show’s belongings from being destroyed by fire or natural disaster. One of the only original items left is a heavy iron breastplate worn by Andy during his time with the show. But other than that? Costumes are grand, the theater is amazing, and all-​in-​all, it is well worth the price and your time.
Unless it is not.
You see, the problem with the location is that North Carolina’s Outer Banks have an issue with weather — perhaps what did in the members of the actual Lost Colony. And that means that if it rains, the show could be postponed, or even canceled (this happens no earlier than 9pm). And if you have purchased insurance, you pick up your refund and leave when the show is canceled. If you did not, you instead get a rain check for another performance during that season. Of course, if you are like many people, you may not be able to make it to another performance during your vacation, and you may even be many miles from home, meaning you have just two choices.
#1 — Enjoy the first 30 minutes of the show, because it may be all that you get.
#2 — Buy the insurance. It is (currently) $ 3 per ticket.

To preface: I have seen many productions performed in El Paso at the McKelligon Canyon Amphitheater that is an outdoor theater (Viva! El Paso, Shakespeare on the Rocks — various plays) and they are fantastic!
This theater is a little hard to find, and parking is a little confusing. The woods are amazing, we don’t have trees like that in Arizona! The theater is stadium seating, and the seats are set so your feet are in sand (?) Yah, that’s what I said. I lost my earring back in that stupid stuff.
Anyway, the performance is the history of the founders of the island who came over in 1587. The acting was good and it was fun when the Native Americans went flying behind us sneaking around before an ambush. It was difficult to figure out who was who and why they were important during the play. I wish they would have explained why certain characters were important to the founding of the area.
We probably won’t be back for vacation anyway, but if you are a history buff, you might want to go see this. OH! DO remember to bring/​use bug spray — the mosquitoes are menacing!!! Mom remembered the dryer sheets and we weren’t bothered at all, but saw plenty of people swatting away during the performance.

An absolutely fantastic production! I do amateur and semi-​pro theater at home, and so I can say with some certainty that this is a top-​notch cast, with excellent direction, stage design, and performance values. The open air theater is lovely, with plentiful concessions and is set in a park maintained by the National Park Service, where you can see original fort foundations and other exhibits. There is also a good-​sized souvenir stand, and the opportunity to get autographs from the actors afterwards.
It can get cool in the evening, so I would recommend wearings jeans, even if it’s hot when you get there. And bring bug spray!

So, I’ve gone to Nags Head almost every year of my life and, for some reason, have never gone to this show. And I don’t know why the hell not!!! What I can tell you is that I’ll be going to the show every single year from now on!
I had no idea how large of a production this was. Fully outside, next to the sound, huge stages and sets, fireworks, big ships that sail in and out, millions of dollars in costumes, gun shots, snow and an extremely large cast. We counted 105 people in the program for active cast members. You know they must be doing something right to be able to employ that many people and put on this show for over 70 years!
We were honestly amazed. It was a great story, great production and great venue. Parking was also easy-​breezy (just follow all the signs!).
Be aware of their refund policy. Because it’s outside, if it rains, they don’t cancel the show until 8:30 (the show starts at 8). So if you pre-​purchased tickets, which is recommended, and it rains, you still have to go. Then, you have to mail in your tickets with a written request for a refund. Not exactly the friendliest policy in my opinion and it’s obviously made in hopes that some people won’t bother with the hassle… but I think they should stand behind their product a little better, realizing they will have rain-​outs and treat people right with refunds on the spot. Rain is a risk of their business, and I think they need to err on the side of great customer service.
We didn’t have a rain-​out, so my review is 5-​stars. Just an incredible production.