Play about farming life to tour village halls

Communities: Ups and downs of changing rural life take centre stage, with musical interludes

A play based on farming life is to tour village halls across Perthshire next month.

The play, “A Six Inch Layer Of Topsoil And The Fact it Rains” has been created from conversation with farmers, migrant seasonal workers, climate change campaigners, lairds and landowners, land reformers and politicians to paint a picture of a changing rural community.

It asks what it means to provide for the future and incorporates extracts from real-life conversations together with music and song.

Melody Grove and Aly Macrae will play a cast of characters from across Perthshire talking about the ups and downs of rural life today, interspersed with musical interludes.

Director Lu Kemp said: “As a theatre we are keen to be going into local communities to perform, as well as welcoming those communities into our space.

“This piece was made in conversation with people living and working across Perthshire, we hope audiences will recognise themselves within it.

“It’s a bit of a conversation piece, a bit of storytelling, a bit of a ceilidh, a night out with characters people will recognise and enjoy.”

The play previews with two performances in Perth Theatre’s rehearsal room on May 3-4.

It will then tour throughout Perth and Kinross.

For tickets and information on venues and dates visit horsecross.co.uk or call the box office on 01738 621031.

Picture: Fraser Band. Rural life is portrayed by Melody Grove and Aly Macrae in A Six Inch Layer Of Topsoil And The Fact it Rains.