Lilies on the Land

I went and saw this last night.  It's a beautiful piece of theatre based on the memories of Land Girls; members of the Women's Land Army who worked on farms during the second world war.

The Lions part theatre company, who devised the production, initially interviewed more than 150 ex-land girls and have used their recollections as source material.  This lends an incredible sense of authenticity; the stories - from earliest thoughts about signing up and the excitement of uniforms arriving by post, to encounters with prisoners of war, tractor driving lessons and coping with outdoor toilet facilities - ring true.  It's a small production; there are only four cast members and the set is simple. But this is all that is needed.  The cycle of the seasons provides a natural structure, and against this backdrop the four main characters tell their stories of farm life with a mix of courage, laughter, sadness, and hope. 

It's only on for another week or so, and doesn't seem to have garnered a huge amount of publicity during its limited run, which is a real shame, and absolutely no reflection on the quality of the performances or the production.  Our dress circle seats were upgraded to stalls, and even those weren't full, so I imagine it would be fairly easy to get hold of tickets. 

The only slight drawback last night was that the London Arts Theatre is right next to a Spanish bar, and a particularly poignant moment in the second half coincided perfectly with Spain's World Cup victory. If you do decide to go, and I definitely think you should, I wouldn't do it on Sunday.