Colin Mapledoram

The Colin above is not our Colin, but another Colin. He is a Colin from The Fast Show.

If you’ve been to the Bike Shed, there’s a good chance you’ve been Colin-ed. To be Colin-ed is to be approached by a nearly-blind man with a small book. In it, is a list of the shows Colin has been to see. He’s seen hundreds, not just in his lifetime, but in the last handful of months.

Colin first came to the Bike Shed on our opening night and has probably seen more shows than anyone else. His tastes err on the side of the conventional, but I think he secretly likes to be pushed. And he certainly likes to talk. Whether you want to listen or not.

He lives alone, save with his hamster (who has been replaced at least once in the last five years). He is retired and has, by all accounts, a small pension. We’re not alone in considering Colin a regular. Other theatres in Exeter, along with those in Sidmouth and Exmouth, are also frequented by him.

Yes, he’s odd. Yes, he can be annoying. But, as we found out when he’d not been in for a couple of months and I phoned the police to check he was ok, we miss him when he’s not there, clutching his half pint of ale and telling you what he saw in Sidmouth last night.