Lark Rise To Candleford - Theatre By The Lake ★★★★★

At a time when much in the world seems so bleak, finding a pocket of nostalgic joy in one of the most idyllically situated theatres in the country is not to be overlooked. This production of Lark Rise to Candleford, seen here at the Theatre by the Lake in Keswick is two hours of wonderful, reminiscent enchantment.

Written and composed by Tamsin Kennard, who is also the musical director, the production condenses Flora Thompson’s semi-autobiographical books into a richly infused, lyrical piece of theatre. Telling the story of a young girl growing up in the Cotswolds at the end of the Victorian era, it leaves out none of the most significant details or pertinent relationships. This stirring piece capitalises on the multiple skills of the performers, enabling them to conjure up a world which still exists somewhere – at least in our collective memories.

The stage is set rustically with suggestions of cornfields, a cottage home and a welcoming pub. Throughout the production, Anna Kelsey’s fluid design uses boxes and stage blocks, manoeuvred by the cast, to create a school room, carriages, a cobbler’s shop, and a post office counter – all managed without any interruption to the action.

Central to the story is Laura (Jessica Temple), the eldest child of a large family who live in the tiny hamlet of Lark Rise. Her parents expect little more for her than to marry a farmer and produce another generation.

Laura’s imagination, however, has been vigorously stirred by the books that she devours, and she longs to experience more. In a stand-out performance, Jessica Temple plays Laura with great sympathy and humour. There are touching exchanges between her and her beloved brother Edmund (Alex Wilson), who tells her that they can have a future where they together ‘watch things grow, eat treacle tart and (she can) read all the books she wants!’ What could be better?

During a Summer’s stay in the metropolis, which is the modest town of Candleford, Laura encounters the eccentrically enthralling and free-thinking Dorcas Lane (Rosalind Ford), who runs the post office. Later, offering Laura an apprenticeship there, Dorcas becomes the influential guide that she needs to broaden her outlook. Rosalind Ford is wonderfully spirited as Dorcus, her eyes sparkling and glinting as she draws the audience in to her quick-witted quirkiness.

Bryn Holding has directed the cast of six actor-musicians seamlessly, so that they blend their many roles and their instruments harmoniously, enhancing the narrative whilst never detracting from it. It seems entirely natural for their characters to play and sing, elevating the emotion. The movement and dance, directed by Patsy Browne-Hope, produce some utterly beguiling set pieces – the children learning in the school room or going upstairs to sleep, the synchronicity of action in the post-office as papers are stamped and filed. Most charming is a sequence when Laura and her short-term beau, the bookish Godfrey Parish (Zrey Sholapurkar), take a bicycle ride and watching them struggle up the hill and free-wheel down is a delight.

To heighten any humour, there has to be some kind of undercurrent of sadness, and this is not lacking. Yet, whilst there is longing and loss, it never becomes mawkish – rather an expectation of a long life. Laura’s mother and father (Rosalind Steele and Christopher Glover) manage to anchor the family, giving the reassurance of an older generation and context for the next.

In this national year of reading, it is timely to see Laura’s obsession with the written word and its transformative power. These characters, lifted from the page, have been created with such clarity that their lives and the landscape that surrounds them are reflected in the actors’ eyes and shine brightly. This is a five-star production with too short a run and should have locals and holiday-makers alike clamouring for a ticket.