A MUCH-LOVED comedy is returning to the stage in Cheshire this autumn to kick off a theatre group's golden anniversary season.
Kingsley Players will bring Cold Comfort Farm to life at Kingsley Theatre from October 22 to 25, with performances at 7.30pm and a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.
The play, a satirical comedy set in the 1930s, follows the story of Flora Poste, a refined Londoner who sets out to find family after her parents' death, only to encounter chaos at Cold Comfort Farm in rural Sussex.
Sue Elliott as Ada Doom, who 'saw summat narsty in the woodshed!'(Image: Supplied)
Malcolm Barker, director, said: "I first saw the film, read the book and play script at the start of this century, on the eve of Kingsley Players' 25th birthday celebration.
"The story is a wonderful classic comedy, so well written and deserving of its longevity.
"I offered to direct the play, and it featured in our 2001 Silver Anniversary season, when it was much appreciated by our audiences.
"In the intervening years, the performing rights were then withdrawn by the executors of the author's estate, thwarting all attempts to revive this fabulous classic.
"Great news however - just in time, the rights have just been restored and what a star we now have to herald in the Players' Golden Anniversary season in 2026.
"This production is a full-on community project.
"The stage will be filled by a cast of nearly 30 people, comprising some of the county's most talented actors, supported by a team of enthusiastic locals.
"Do come along and help us make history."
Left to right: The Starkadders of Cold Comfort Farm, played by Daniel Aynsley, Scott Watson, and Matt Jones(Image: Supplied)
The production, adapted by Paul Doust, is based on Stella Gibbons' 1932 novel.
The story was named one of the top 100 most influential British novels in a BBC poll.
It has inspired several TV and radio versions, including a 1995 film starring Sir Stephen Fry, Dame Joanna Lumley, Sir Ian McKellan, and Kate Beckinsale as Flora.
The theatre is based at Kingsley Community Centre, and tickets are priced at £12, with concessions at £8 for students and children.