Lilies on the Land

Synopsis

Inspired by and devised from over 130 wonderful letters received from Land Girls, Lilies on the Land celebrates the remarkable experiences of women who signed up for the Land Army during World War II. Overalls full of mice, toilet rolls from the sky, swede bashing and five inch baths, Lilies on the Land recounts the hardships and joys of this unique time for England's women, through energetic narrative and much loved songs of the time.

Our Review:

Chris Snow - 16 June 2012

Compiled from a collection of letters by ex-land girls, the Lions part has created a somewhat poignant, but often clunky, piece of documentary theatre about the experiences of members of the Women’s Land Army during the Second World War.

The piece opens with an introduction to four characters who begin to share their stories of being a part of the WLA, from the first unpacking of their uniform through to the end of the war. The play progresses through different accounts and memoirs of the real women, some funny and some deeply moving.

It’s an odd mix of styles; drifting in and out of songs, radio broadcasts, monologues, and storytelling. The main fault is the lack of any coherent structure or flow, with transitions between stories clumsy at best. The material is generally strong, but it’s the way that the show is constructed that lets it down. The narrative structure is non-existent, which is infuriating when some of the accounts and stories ar...

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