Fifty years after Sir Peter Hall turned Ronald Blythe’s best-known work Akenfield into a film, his daughter Jenny Hall will be directing the landmark work on rural Suffolk as a stage production, adapted by Glenn Wilhide (producer of The Royle Family and The Camomile Lawn).
Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village, was published as a fictionalised account of agriculture in Suffolk over 80 years, inspired by the conversations of three generations of Blythe’s neighbours. It was regarded as a classic of its type and one of the most influential depictions of rural life, and became Blythe’s best-known work, for which he was appointed a CBE for services to literature. Grandchildren of Blythe’s neighbours are amongst those performing in the show, and local artist and sculptor of international acclaim Laurence Edwards, an Elected Fellow of The Royal Society of Sculptors, has designed the set.
The cast are all from the local area, a mix of professional actors and those with roots in the area’s agriculture. Actor James Crawley takes on the role of Ronnie Blythe, joined by a multi-roling cast including Helen Shand, whose husband Garrow Shand starred in the film. Musical accompaniment will be provided by brother and sister Finn Collinson and Rowan Collinson.
The fresh adaption of the book is narrated by Ronnie Blythe as he sits at his desk writing, remembering the characters in the farming communities in Suffolk. Spanning the course of the 20th century, a time of enormous change, his story reveals the rhythms of rural lives across generations, the resilience and hardships, their loves and their struggles. Through the intimate record of first person accounts, it examines class, society, religion, education and community in agricultural Suffolk.
Ahead of performances we sat down with Jenny Hall and Glenn Wilhide to learn more about the production.
What can you tell me about Akenfield?
JCH (Jenny Hall): The book is fictionalised oral history spanning three generations in a Suffolk village, made up of 49 life stories, plus the voice of the narrator making 50, with lists of apple varieties and other rural addenda.
It’s now a fascinating new play by Glenn Wilhide. It’s set during the year that Ronnie wrote the book, and takes place inside his memory. As he writes, characters appear.
What inspired you to want to stage a new production of the piece?
JCH: I went to Ronnie Blythe’s memorial service at St Edmundsbury Cathedral in 2023, and the next morning I woke knowing I wanted to try to put Akenfield on stage.
It's been over 50 years since the acclaimed film adaptation, how do you feel that adaptation has shaped the piece?
JCH: The film was made by Ronnie and my father with a producer called Rex Pyke. It’s very different from the book – and yet utterly faithful to it. I see the film as essentially my father’s story – and I love it, but we didn’t want to rehash it, or make a museum piece, so we’ve gone back to the book to make something new.
Glenn’s taken a fresh approach, which is more relatable to our times, while keeping faithful to Ronnie’s original.
How much inspiration did you take from your father's work?
JCH: Growing up, you couldn’t keep me out of my father’s rehearsals. I watched him work whenever I could, in theatre, opera and film, and when I was older I worked with him. He was incredibly inspiring, to so many people in the theatre.
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| Jenny Hall |
How special is it getting to perform a Suffolk piece, with Suffolk people for Suffolk people?
JCH: It’s hard to put into words without sounding a bit soft. It goes right to my funny bone.
What have been the biggest challenges you've faced in adapting this new production?
JCH: It was crazy to imagine I’d find a talented, local, largely non-professional cast with authentic Suffolk voices. But I have. We’ve got marvellous people performing in this play.
How have you approached the collaborative process of working on this show?
GCW. (Glenn Wilhide): I came to it late. Jenny is very supportive and encouraging, and gives one confidence to be bold.
JCH: Glenn and I have been talking around the subject so long, and we worked on a rural George Ewart Evans piece together, and a series of workshops and readings of Akenfield, so by the time it came to him writing the play it was remarkably stress free and swift.
Everyone involved in rehearsals and creating the set and costumes, has been passionately committed - suggesting friends and family to be ushers, or nephews to take photographs, sourcing props, donating old farm machinery and bygones. Laurence Edwards the famous sculptor keeps having more ideas of extraordinary objects to make for his set. Charsfield Village Hall has become our main home during rehearsals and people bring in plums and nuts from nearby trees - somebody picked blackberries from the hedge during lunch break to share, and so on. It’s been a very happy experience.
What was the first piece of theatre you remember having a big impact on you?
JCH: I’ve been watching theatre since I was too small to sit on plush red seats, and had to perch on them flipped up, to be able to see. My memory goes way, back to all the famous productions, internationally. My father’s Wars of the Roses at Stratford terrified me and gave me nightmares. I kept the programme for Oliver! under my pillow at night…In my early twenties I was acting as part of Bill Bryden’s Cottesloe Company at the National Theatre and that probably had the biggest impact on me of all.
GCW: The first theatre I saw was a Shakespeare at the RSC at Stratford. I was a teenager and had no idea such a thing existed. It was a revelation.
What keeps you inspired?
JCH: I’m inspired by everything. Life, people, music, art, other people’s work and brilliant writing.
GCW: I think art gives the world meaning, I’m inspired by good work.
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| Glenn Wilhide |
What do you hope an audience member takes away from seeing Akenfield?
JCH: I hope they will never forget what they see and hear, all their livelong days.
GCW: A love of Suffolk, and the duty of care we have to the land.
JCH: I hope they will never forget what they see and hear, all their livelong days.
GCW: A love of Suffolk, and the duty of care we have to the land.
Where can audiences see the show?
JCH: Framlingham Old Theatre, The Cut in Halesworth, Eastern Angles in Ipswich, Abbott’s Hall Barn at The Food Museum at Stowmarket, and at Leiston Film Theatre…And I hope it will have a life thereafter!
Akenfield plays on tour visiting the following locations;
24 – 25 Sept The Old Theatre, Framlingham
Number 10 Church St, Framlingham, IP13 9BH
7.30pm | £18 - £5
27 Sept The Cut Arts Centre, Halesworth
Suffolk, Halesworth, IP19 8BY
2.30pm & 7.30pm | £18 - £5
2 – 3 Oct Eastern Angles, Ipswich
Gatacre Rd, Ipswich IP1 2LQ
7.30pm | £16.50 - £5
easternangles.co.uk/event/akenfield/
5 Oct The Food Museum, Stowmarket
Iliffe Way, Stowmarket, IP14 1SL
7.30pm | £18 - £5
11 Oct Leiston Film Theatre
74 High St, Leiston, IP16 4BZ
2.30pm & 7.30pm | £18 - £5
For tickets and further information please visit www.ticketsource.co.uk/shake/akenfield-adapted-for-the-stage-by-glenn-wilhide/e-ajdyvk
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