Lilies On The Land was born from a collection of real-life accounts from women who joined the Women's Land Army, or 'The Land Girls' as they are affectionately known.
Although patriotic posters and slogans such as "Dig For Victory" are well remembered, forgotten are the sacrifices these young girls made to aid the war effort from 1939-1945. Remembering these women in all their glory and honour is precisely what this play beautifully invites its audience to do.
Devised and performed by theatre company The Lions Part, Lilies on the Land transports us back to an era that, despite several generations not having lived through it, resonates deep within the British psyche.
Emotions stir from the moment we see four women on the day Winston Churchill died in 1965, their reactions mixed, tinged with resentment for their mistreatment after the war. Incredibly, the WLA remained formally unacknowledged until as recently as 2008.
Churchill's voice booms from a wireless; "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields..." And so we join fields toiled by the four very different but entirely charming personalities of Vera, Poppy, Peggy and Margie all portrayed in enrapturing performances by the four-strong ensemble cast.
Humorous throughout, and at times deeply moving, we witness their journey from the first day at the business end of a cow, toilets without flushes (if they were lucky enough to see a toilet at all), back-breaking work bringing in the harvest all while coping with the ever-present danger of war as doodlebugs and the Luftwaffe loom above their heads.
Littered with delightful anecdotes, each lady takes her turn to recount amusing tales including raucous nights returning home late from village dances with attractive American troops.
Rousing wartime ditties inject energy into the dialogue, while a mournful rendition of Silent Night in three languages punctuated with perfect poignance the agonising loneliness the Land Girls and German and Italian Prisoners of War endured.
A joyful two hours of vivid, entertaining, haunting, and, above all, honest reflections on the six years these women dedicated to keeping Britain fed while men laid down their lives for freedom. Lilies on the Land gives worthy salute to the bravery overlooked for too long of The Women's Land Army.
9/10
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