Smallholding

Synopsis

She had looks, brains... Everythin' goin' for her. Whereas you, Andy... You deserve addiction.' Andy and Jen have just moved on to a new farm, returning to the village they grew up in. The plan is to plant parsnips, breed pigs and live off the fat of the land. But escaping their shared demons was never going to be easy. While the couple make a fresh start, trust, responsibility and bio dynamic farming challenge their rehabilitation in this darkly comic love story.

Our Review:

David Jobson - 30 April 2013

Smallholding is based around the over familiar subject of a disintegrating relationship. The play opens as married couple, Andy and Jen, arrive at a dilapidated farmhouse. Andy is a drug addict and because of this their daughter has to live with Jen’s parents, who will only give her back if the pair can sort out their lives and make a success of the farm.

Sadly it is obvious where the story is going. Chris New dominates the production as Andy. He makes every opportunity to posture and spout empty words. He promises a lot but does not deliver, and he then tries to avoid the subject whilst acting irresponsibly. Matti Houghton is the more proactive of the two as Jen, who hopes to start a new life on the farm, yet has to put up with Andy’s lack of responsibility in the first few scenes.

The play does not lead the audience into the story gradually. The first half is basically a downward slide into hardship. It does however pick up when...

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