Lark Rise — on tour from 8th to 16th July 2016

The poster See cast details

Pre-production photos by Janet Hardinge:

The Timms family outside Headley village hall

The Timms family inside Oakhurst Cottage, Hambledon (National Trust)

Rod Sharp as the Squire (one of his several roles) at Oakhurst Cottage

A group of the cast at Oakhurst Cottage

The cast at the first Dress Rehearsal

Performance at Liss, Friday 8th July:

We may not have opened in Verona, but Liss was the next best place.

Setting up…

The following photos taken by Jonathan Neil in the audience, during the second half of the show

An audience's view of the cheapjack scene

It was real ale in the pub, for the first time!

Coming to a close.

Neil Hardinge as Dick

David Burnham as Albert Timms

Dil Williamson-Smith as Garibaldi Jacket

Jo Smith as Boamer, the 'King of the Mowers'

and finally, a very happy director, Steve White – the show went well!

Matinée performance at Liphook, Saturday 9th July (Photos taken by Deb Williamson):

To Liphook Village Hall, which would have been a barn in 1916 when Flora and her family lived in the village

The band starts the show with their 10-minute intro

In comes Nick Webb as 'Old Monday Morning'

The mowers sing "I have lawns, I have bowers…"

Emma Timms (Mel White) tells her children exactly what she thinks of their early-morning mushroom collecting

Mrs Blaby (Pru Harrold) and Mrs Peverill (Caroline Stephenson) discuss Laura: "Not much to look at, is she?"

Postie (Abby Hibberd) arrives in the hamlet

The doctor (Kevin Stephenson) arrives to take Mr Sharman (John McGregor) away to the workhouse

Jerry Parish (Steve Baker) arrives with his barrow full of fruit and fresh fish

Twister (Nick Webb) shows Mrs Timms his nuts!

His wife Queenie (Wendy Downs) tells Mrs Timms about the time she baked Twister's belt in a pie

John Price (Zak White) meets the Squire (Rod Sharp) who has just been out shooting rabbits

The mowers arrive back from their morning's work…

…and have their dinner break. And the audience have their coffee break!

While the men are in the fields, the women of the hamlet swop gossip.

Meanwhile, Martha (Zya White) goes for an interview with Laura and Edmund…

…and meet Garilaldi Jacket (Dil Williamson-Smith)

The Cheapjack arrives, having borrowed Jerry Parish's wheelbarrow!

In the Timms' house, they wait for Albert (David Burnham) to come back from work

Emma is not best pleased…

…when she finds he's brought a tramp (Rod Sharp) home for supper!

Meanwhile the mowers are having their evening's half pint in the pub…

…entertained, from time to time, by a Morris dancer

The play jumps forward in time to 1916, and a church service…

…which we find is for Edmund, who became a casualty of the Great War.

Afternoon performance at the Rural Life Centre, Tilford on Sunday 10th July (Photos taken by Jo Smith):

At the end of the show we cheer things up with a Grand Circle dance!

At the Rural Life Centre we were observed by a WW1 horse complete with gas mask

And we also discovered that we had a new member of the band!

Evening performance in the Round House at the Butser Ancient Farm on Friday 15th July (Photos taken by Jo Smith):

First, we had to erect some lighting in the Round House: a specially-constructed LED unit suspended from the cooking-pot chain! Here, Steve climbs the scaffold, supported by many hands to make light work.

Then we arranged the seating for the audience – we were truly playing "in the round"!

The cast had a mini-round-house for a changing room.

And a successful evening ended with the traditional Circle Dance.

Afternoon performance in the garden of Haslemere Museum on Saturday 16th July (Photos taken by Jo Smith):

Next day, we set up at Haslemere Museum.

As the weather was fine, we decided to do an open-air performance. Up went the poles …

… and up went the hessian screen …

… and in came the audience.

The mowers discuss tactics with Janet-the-props at half-time. Just like that!

Meanwhile, the King of the Mowers had turned into a frog!

Evening performance at Headley Village Hall on Saturday 16th July (Photos taken by Jo Smith):

At the end of the run, the deserving Director gets presented with an illustrated copy of Lark Rise, a pewter mug and some beers to put in it.

And, quite naturally, we end it all with a last Grand Circle Dance.

Return to Headley Theatre Club home page