Lilies on the Land

During World War II, the Women’s Land Army was created to address labour shortages caused by men leaving for military service. The play tells the story of four women who took on demanding agricultural work, meeting challenges with determination and humour. Their experiences, from driving tractors to birthing calves, are shared with honesty and wit.

Lilies on the Land uses 150 letters, interviews with original Land Girls, and period songs to create a compelling portrait of Britain’s unsung Women's Land Army. This show draws from their stories to highlight how this 250,000-member volunteer force helped keep Britain fed during World War Two. 

Demi Rose Smith, Alison Bennett, Siobhon Thorley, plus, director Tina Williams were cast as the four Land Girls, each from completely different backgrounds. They also lend their voices to bring to life the recollections of various other characters. Just to add i was made aware there were more than a few challenging situations and personal circumstances to overcome in order to finalise the cast.

Much is direct recounting of experience, supported in parts by music of the late 1930s and early 1940s period, that the audience was actively encouraged to join in with. Songs like "Run Rabbit Run" that seem to have entered the memory of those who weren't even alive then, there is a strong sense of nostalgia and celebration but we also get a clear picture of the hardships and privations they went through as they struggle to learn the skills of farm workers, taking on every kind of agricultural and stock rearing job from ploughing to potato lifting, sowing to threshing, returning late after a dance, and encountering visiting GIs. long days in the sun and bitter winters often deep in mud and muck. In retrospect, experiences that for some, once seemed challenging can appear humorous when viewed from a distance. This show is filled with entertaining anecdotes as each story is shared in a way that highlights both the difficulties and lighter moments of life for Peggy, Margie, Poppy and Vera respectively.

The simple setting of just a few bales of straw that could be moved by our ladies to provide a slightly different look to the paired back stage setting worked really well. The period costumes truly completed an entertaining evening. Younger members of the audience undoubtedly learned valuable thought-provoking lessons about the remarkable women depicted in the play, while those older were surely reminded of some moving memories.

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