This comedy musical is an imagined wistful reminiscence by two young women shortly after the WW2 about how they met as Land Girls (the Women’s Land Army) and what happened to the hopes and dreams they’d shared during their years of hard farming work helping to feed a nation where food was in short supply.
Biddy - photograph courtesy of Chris Jones
Buff - photograph courtesy of Chris Jones
Although the story is a work of fiction, much of it is springs from the sort of events that may well have occurred at the time.
The actors, Abigail Uttley as the shy Yorkshire lass Biddy and Samantha Edwards as Buff – a forthright Liverpudlian, were excellent in their roles. Many of the lines (written by former member of Hull Truck Company Kate Bramley, the show’s director) were laugh-out-loud funny and soon had the audience captivated – it didn’t take much encouragement to get them to join in with a couple of the sing-along numbers.
Buff and Biddy reminisce - photograph courtesy of Chris Jones
Abigail and Samantha also had to carry out all the scene changes, as it hopped from dormitory to farmyard to mangel field to cinema to dancehall (and sometimes back again), and brilliant use was made of a few key props as a bunk bed was turned into a farm gate, and the wheel of an upturned barrow became the reel of a cinema projector.
The sense of atmosphere was heightened by clever lighting and superb sound and visual effects – it’s not easy to conjure up a ballroom on a tiny stage but that’s exactly what Badapple did last night.
One of the great things about the performance was the feeling of “we’re all in this together” so the audience were very much part of the show. And, most importantly, everyone left happy – uplifted by a great evening’s entertainment. Full marks all round.
Buff and Biddy break into song - photograph courtesy of Chris Jones
Land Girls cast, left to right Abigail Uttley (Biddy), Samantha Edwards (Buff) - photograph courtesy of the Badapple Theatre Company
Badapple Theatre Company, based in Green Hammerton, North Yorkshire, put on a highly acclaimed touring production in 2010 about Yorkshire’s Land Girls – some of the largely unsung army of women who helped feed the people of Britain during the Second World War. There’s now a chance to catch it if you missed it first time round, or want to see it again, as it’s coming back on tour throughout September and October, starting at Marton cum Grafton Village Hall on 15 September.
It tells the humorous story of two young women who volunteer for the Women’s Land Army in 1942. Buff is a townie and knows nothing about farming – she has a dream of being the next Vera Lynn. Her fellow volunteer Biddy is a country lass – but a hopeless romantic. The two of them cause a bit of a stir in the village they end up in – and become the focus of attention, much of it romantic. Neither are exactly cut out for farming. It’s tale of back-ache, blisters and banter – as they girls have to quickly learn how to get the most from the land.
Land girl in uniform - photograph courtesy of the Badapple Theatre Company
The play was written and is directed by Kate Bramley (who was in the renowned Hull Truck Theatre Company), and although the play is a work of fiction it is based on reminiscences of real Land Army women – many of whom were only too pleased to get the opportunity to share their experiences. The show features some of the music from the era, as well as new tunes penned by Jez Lowe – a winner of a prestigious Radio 2 Sony Academy Award.
This will be the fourth and final tour of this highly successful and very funny musical drama – previous tours have been sell-outs, so book your tickets soon as this will be the last chance to see this marvellous two-hander. It’s suitable for all the family, though it’s probably more appropriate for kids of 10 and over.
This production is supported by a grant from Lottery Awards For All.
TOUR DATES (venues in or near Yorkshire only)
September
Thursday 15th
Marton cum Grafton Village Hall, Marton cum Grafton, York YO51 9QY – 01423 339 168
Friday 16th
Potto Village Hall, Potto, N Yorks DL6 3HQ – 01642 700 609
Tuesday 20th
Burton Fleming Village Hall, Driffield, East Riding YO25 3LL – 01262 470 556
Wednesday 21st
Little Weighton Village Hall, Little Weighton, Cottingham, East Riding HU20 3US – 01482 844 171
Thursday 22nd
Newton On Ouse Village Hall, Newton On Ouse, York YO30 2BY – 01347 848 997
For Christmas 2011 listings, please click thered links below for North, East, South or West Yorkshire productions:
North Yorkshire Christmas pantomimes 2011 pantos and Christmas productions across North Yorkshire including York, Scarborough, Whitby, Harrogate, Helmsley, Skipton, Pickering, Richmond and more
West Yorkshire Christmas pantomimes 2011 pantos and Christmas productions across West Yorkshire, including Bradford, Leeds, Halifax, Huddersfield, Holmfirth, Otley, Pontefract, Wakefield and more
The details below are for 2010 pantos – use the links above to find pantos in 2011/12 broken down by area of Yorkshire.
2010 productions (see above for 2011/12 productions)
Yorkshire boasts many great theatres and there’s a terrific selection of Christmas productions this year – we’ve detailed a variety of shows below from across the region, in alphabetical order by town or city:
Barnsley
Dick Whittington & His Cat
Lamproom Theatre, Westgate, Barnsley S70 2DX
11 December 2010 to 2 January 2011
Tickets: Adults £12.00, Concessions £11.00, Family Tickets £40.00
Aladdin The Deighton Centre, Deighton Road, Huddersfield
Friday & Saturday, 26 & 27 November at 7.30pm
The Community Players in association with KFTRA, with Town Cryer, Vic Watson, as the Dame
Tickets £3.00 (Children/OAP’s £1.50)
Box Office: 07944 651 873
Festival of Light St George’s Square, Huddersfield
2 – 5 December Two performances of the main show, Corazon de Angeles by Belgian company Theater Tol. Other festival highlights include street theatre across the town, a festive food and drink market, interactive light projections and Huddersfield’s first ever Art Market, plus an Ice Rink, a Traditional Fairground, dance, and opera. Some of what’s on is free but check website for prices and times.
Cinderella (2) The Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Haxby Road, York YO1
16 January 2011 – ONE DAY ONLY!
Tickets: £16.00 adult, £12.00 child
Box Office: 01904 623568
Pinocchio The Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Haxby Road, York YO1
4-5 February Tickets: £10.00 adult, £7.00 child & senior
Box Office: 01904 623568
STOP PRESS: The Fauconberg Arms in Coxwold’s famous panto was sold out again this year (oh yes it was!!). Watch this space for next year’s panto dates and there are rumours there will be another panto later this year. For now, check out Act One here:
Grassington Players will be staging as their autumn production Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, from a short story by Oscar Wilde originally published in 1897 and adapted for the stage by Constance Cox. Satirising upper class morality this is an entertaining black comedy. Lord Arthur learns from a palmist that he is destined to commit a murder, and worried that this should not affect his forthcoming marriage, sets about a series of unsuccessful attempts to murder a much loved aunt.
The performance will take place in the Town Hall at Grassington, and tickets are £7 for adults, £4 for children.
If you’re looking for accommodation in the area, try the Grassington B&Bs or Yorkshire Dales holiday cottages on Hello Yorkshire.
This will be your last chance to see “Summer Mummers” (this year’s Penny Plain Theatre Company show). They’ll be taking a canal boat trip and will be travelling from Skipton to Kildwick.
Known as Hardcastle’s men (and viewed as a dishevelled bunch of travelling Victorian thespians), this summer show will see them arriving very tired and grumpy to reluctantly perform for ‘the hat’ (which is known to be a pastoral selection of dances, folk songs and a Yorkshire Mummers Play).
The show transports the audience back to a bucolic Victorian summer. It will showcase the various talents, from a breathtaking rapper sword dance to a maypole shambles, and will include traditional folk anthems and plenty of summer spirit (of the alcoholic kind!!!).
Andrew Jackson, Company Founding Member, had outlined the fact that spending an afternoon on the canal would be a perfect ending to a very successful tour, and it will also provide the opportunity for The Company to perform the show for locals to enjoy.
The FREE half hour Show will start at 11.15am at The Canal Basin in Skipton before boarding the canal boat. Then, they’ll travel east on the Leeds-Liverpool canal, where the Company will make a stop to make another performance, the venue being The White Lion based in Kildwick. 2.00pm is their anticipated time of arrival. Boarding again, after returning the boat to Skipton at 5pm, they’ll be travelling on to their final show of the day – which starts at 6pm, and the venue for the final performance is The Tempest Arms, Elslack.
To find out more about the “Summer Mummers” show (and view photographs too) please visit the Penny Plain Theatre website.
The York Mystery Plays date back to medieval times – their origins can be traced back to at least the middle of the 14th century. They were originally (and more properly) called the York Corpus Christi Plays as they were performed on the feast day of Corpus Christi – one of the Christian church’s movable feasts held between 23 May and 24 June.
There are 48 short plays in all and they tell the story of the Bible from Genesis to the Last Judgement and they are performed over a four-year cycle. The twelve plays this year will be performed in four different locations (or stations) on each of two days (11th & 18th July). This year’s production will, like the 2006 one, be performed on “pageant waggons”, complete with stage sets, which will move through the streets of York city centre from one station to the next.
These are the locations for the 2010 production:
11th July
Dean’s Park
College Green
St Sampson’s Square
Eye of York
18th July
Dean’s Park
College Green
St Sampson’s Square
Museum Gardens
Performances start at 12 noon and go on till around 6 pm with over 100 speaking parts, and instrumental and choral musical accompaniment.
There will be standing room at all the locations and seats will be available with a ticket at Dean’s Park and the Museum Gardens.
This year’s plays
Part One
Creation to the Fifth Day
The Expulsion of Adam and Eve
with Cain and Abel
Abraham and Isaac
Joseph’s troubles about Mary
Massacre of the Innocents
The Transfiguration
The Agony in the Garden
Part Two
The Dream of Pilate’s Wife
The Merchants of the Staple
The Road to Calvary
The Crucifixion/Death of Christ
The Incredulity of Thomas
The Last Judgement
Part One will begin at noon in Dean’s Park. Part Two will begin at 2.30 in Dean’s Park.
Famous names and amateur actors
Numerous actors – mainly local amateurs – have appeared in the York Mystery Plays. Way before she became one of our most revered actors and was made a Dame, Judi Dench appeared in 1951 and 1954 as an angel and in 1957 as the Virgin Mary. Robson Green appeared in the Mystery Plays as Jesus in 1992.
There are several related events this summer:
York Art Gallery
3 April to 8 September – The Art of the Mystery Plays
An exhibition of paintings, drawings, sketches, documents and artefacts, and including the only surviving original manuscript of the plays (kindly loaned by the British Library) dating back to the 15th century. The exhibition continues unto 8 September but the manuscript is only on show until 5 August
10, 11 & 12 July – Yorkwalk: In the steps of the Mystery Plays
This walk takes walkers on the same route of the plays as held in mediaeval times. The commentary provides interesting insights into the original productions. The walk on Sunday 11th July ends in time to see a performance of the Plays.
Walk start times: 10 July: 2.15pm, 11 July: 10.30am, 12 July: 10.30am. Venue: Gates of the Museum Gardens. More information is available from: www.yorkwalk.co.uk.
Exploring York
10 & 11 July, 17 & 18 July, Exploring York: Mystery Plays Festival Medieval Walk
A series of tailor-made 90 minute walks around York, describing life during the time the Mediaeval Mystery Plays were performed in the City’s streets. Hear about the buildings – the churches, the Minster, the pubs and shops – find out about the people – monks & vicars, merchants and thieves, kings and prostitutes.
Time: 11am, venue: St Helen’s Square (look for a guide in a black & gold uniform). Price: £6.
