This week at the ADC Theatre, Bawds presents Cold Comfort Farm directed by Barry Brown. Production photos by Paul Ashley.
The original novel by Stella Gibbons was written in 1932 as a satirical take on the watered down, bland “loom and love child” genre of books popular at the time. This stage adaptation of that novel (adapted by Paul Doust) is a nonsensical romp that will be sure to entertain audiences this week under Brown’s direction and dedicated cast.
The play follows Flora Poste, played by Lucy Green, a socialite who was recently orphaned and left with a measly allowance as she moves in with her extended family on Cold Comfort Farm. Dismayed by the state of the place and seeing that her family are miserably trapped under the thumb of their Aunt Ada Doom, played by Rosemary Eason, she quickly gets to work freeing them from the expectations placed upon them. Love, lust, grief, and true callings are all explored in this comedic classic.The dialogue is verbose and witty, with complex scenes where everyone is talking all at once. These are executed to great effect, though in general some of the cues could be picked up a little quicker.
One of my favourite characters on the other hand, Urk (played by Phillip Lloyd), has lines that mostly consist of outbursts of “HA” which are perfectly timed and performed with remarkable vigour. A convenient Hollywood film director (Colin Lawrence) is there. A daft obsessive character named Rennet (Emma Harpley) jumps down a well several times because of unrequited love. It’s all good fun.
Costumes, by Helen McCallum, Joan Ashley, and Tracy James, are impeccable. Three people are definitely needed to manage the sheer quantity of costume pieces per person, with each piece effectively showcasing the character traits of each person and their arc throughout the play. Hannah Curtis, on hair and makeup, tells a story with fake beards, a lot of backcombing, and some delightful headgear including a beaded cap worn by the enchanting Elfine Starkadder (played by Kalila Boo Newark). Amos Starkadder’s (Scott Brindle) barnet is gravity defying, which entirely suits his outlandish evangelical tyrades. Excellent work.
The Starkadders reside in a considerably dilapidated farmhouse, complete with exploding cuckoo clock and adorned with creeping ivy that grows with each act as the matriarch Aunt Ada loses her grip on the family. A rickety staircase leads to a landing which is used sparingly and effectively for character introductions and Ada’s seething monologues. Every inch of the stage is used, including some rather saucy dances, choreographed by Hannah Vardey, and brief milking interludes to allow Graceless the three-legged cow (and Guy Marshall as the endearing Adam Lambsbreath) time in the spotlight.
Green is glorious as the determined Flora Poste. Articulate and energetic, she floats across the stage while delivering an enormous amount of lines, each more complex and detailed than the last. Green is the dependable linchpin in this production and executes this role with grace and composure, though I would love to see her break out of her pristine box for a moment to remind us that Flora too is a flawed human being and not completely ethereal all the time.
Eason as the formidable Aunt Ada Doom is a constant and alarming presence, felt even while offstage. While on stage, Eason commands the room and seamlessly switches from mad and raving to cold and calculating as she manipulates her family into staying at the farm against their wishes.
Among the diaspora of the Starkadders, Hawk-Monitors, and other ensemble characters, every single actor has a stand out moment. Everyone committed to their role, no matter how ridiculous, and should be proud of the rich and bonkers world they have created. A few shoutouts go to: Ben Martineau for his boyish gusto as Seth Starkadder, James Inman who affectionately portrays Reuben Starkadder, a rough farmer with a soft side, and Geraldine Hindley as Judith Starkadder who spends half the show submerged in a bowl of porridge and the other half whimpering lustfully. One final shoutout goes to James Hedges for his theatre debut as Richard Hawk-Monitor, sweet and every bit the aristocrat.
If you have a proclivity for playful plays about the pompous, pathetic, and the passionate, I urge you to point your peepers at Cold Comfort Farm. Side effects may include a desire to stand up to your familial matriarch, marry an aristocrat, and/or follow your dreams. Either way you’ll have an enjoyable evening.
P.S. Stay seated after the bows for a hilarious post credit scene.
