South Devon, 2001. As disease ravages the countryside, local dairy vet Jeff arrives with a dire warning for his friend Michael, a widowed farmer. Michael must make the ultimate sacrifice to preserve all that he holds dear. As he barricades his farm and home against a tide of devastation only Jeff can clear a way through the falling ash. From the bloodbath of the foot-and-mouth crisis to developers consuming land for real estate, And Then Come the Nightjars charts one farm’s struggle to survive the march of history. Fierce with rage and achingly tender in turn, Bea Roberts’ play is a story of enduring friendship in a requiem for rural England.
These performances take place at the Lost Gardens of Heligan.