Lilies on the Land

What an appropriate choice “Lilies on the Land” was to mark the 80th anniversary of the start of World War Two. The Lions part company, who wrote this piece (first produced in 2003), wanted to produce a play about the experiences of women during the war and the, largely unsung, part they played in keeping the country fed. Former Women’s Land Army members from all walks of life contributed their memories, happy and sad, and they have been ingeniously knitted together to make a compelling and powerful story that takes us from the outbreak of war to VE night.

This was a touring production, which had already visited a number of venues in the area, ending up at Butser Ancient Farm, where I was lucky enough to watch it. As I sat in the ancient round house, with the faint smell of wood smoke pervading the atmosphere and the sounds of the sheep and goats seeping in from outside, I could not imagine a more perfect setting for this play.

The set was simple, but extremely well made (take a big bow, the set construction team) and, along with the many authentic props, it very effectively conjured up the atmosphere of a 1930s' farm, before mechanisation had really started to take hold. Congratulations must go to the costume team too, for getting the look of the clothes and the hair styles just right – even down to the Women’s Land Army badges. Intelligent lighting completed this bucolic picture.

Director Kat Wootton has picked a fine cast, and they did her proud. The core of the story is told by just four women: Peggy (Elsa Donovan), Poppy (Kat Wootton), Margie (Karina Neeson) and Vera (Samantha Dent). They are helped by Florence Clarke, Dil Peeling (the only man in the cast) and Jill Hancock who, between them, take on a huge variety of minor roles.

I won’t single out individuals because this was very much an ensemble piece and they all worked so well together and every performance was faultless. A great deal of thought and detailed direction had obviously gone into presenting each character as an individual – even the ones who were on stage for just a few seconds. Each had their own back story, mannerisms and accent. They brought out clearly what hard work, harsh conditions and sheer drudgery these women endured, but also the joy they derived from being immersed in situations none had experienced before and the comradeship of the other women. I said I wasn’t going to single out individuals, but I must say that Jill Hancock’s beautiful reading of the Harvest Home poem was a very moving and fitting way to end the play.

Finally, I must congratulate the back stage crew whose hard work and patience allowed this production to be moved from venue to venue and, if Butser Ancient Farm was anything to go by, made it look like the show was designed solely for that venue.

This talented group never fails to come up with the goods, and this was another top-notch production with tremendous performances, in a really atmospheric setting. I hope you can all now relax after your arduous tour and enjoy many happy memories. Well done!

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