The Darling Buds of May

Info
The Darling Buds of May was Stage-Door's 34th show at the Windmill theatre and was directed by Carol Davies, returning to direct after her highly praised work on Blue Remembered Hills.

The Darling Buds of May was a British television series which was first broadcast between 1991 and 1993 produced by Yorkshire Television for the ITV Network. It is set in an idyllic rural 1950s Kent, among a large, boisterous family. The three series were based on the novels by H. E. Bates. Originally categorised by Yorkshire TV as a drama, some regard it as a comedy. The earlier episodes are perhaps more comical, and the episode "A Season of Heavenly Gifts", is certainly more dramatic than the others.

The key characters were Pop Larkin (David Jason), Ma Larkin (Pam Ferris), who were unmarried, their eldest daughter Mariette (Catherine Zeta-Jones), and tax-collector Cedric Charlton (Philip Franks), who is re-christened Charley by the Larkins. Charley arrives at the beginning of the first episode to get Pop Larkin to fill in his tax forms. He is distracted from this when he falls in love with Mariette Larkin at first sight, and the Larkins distract him even further by attempting to teach him to play crib, and getting him drunk. In spite of his terrible hangover the next day, he becomes captivated by the idyllic country life led by the Larkins, and ends up as a member of the family.

The show was an instant success for the network with the show's feel-good factor during a period of economic recession often noted as the reason. The show launched the acting career of Zeta-Jones.

"The darling buds of May" is a quotation from Shakespeare's sonnet XVIII: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May | And summer's lease hath all too short a date.

The programme was filmed in the village of Pluckley, Kent and nearby locations. The farm used in the series is a private residence and not normally open to the public but can be visited once a year on the occasion of the Darling Buds Classic Car Show, an annual charitable event held in the farm grounds with the permission of the owner. No filming was done inside the farmhouse, the interiors having been shot in a studio, but devotees of the series are free on that day to see all the external locations used around the farm in the programme.

The complete 3 series, plus special episodes, have been released on DVD and remain widely available.

H. E. Bates wrote five books involving the Larkin family, the titles of the first four of which were used as episode titles for the TV series:
 * The Darling Buds of May (1958)
 * A Breath of French Air (1959)
 * When the Green Woods Laugh (1960)
 * Oh! To be in England (1963)
 * A Little of What You Fancy (1970)

From the Director
H.E. Bates' invention of the 'Perfick' Pop Larkin and his large and loving family is in a direct line of descent from the Merry England of Chaucer and Shakespeare and conjures up a romantic dream of sunshine and plenty set among the Kentish landscape of apple orchards, hop gardens and strawberry fields. In 1957, England was still recovering from the privations of post war rationing but Pop's family somehow lack for nothing. Their table groans with Ma Larkin's wonderful cooking, with huge roasts and puddings as the children have an endless supply of ice-creams and crisps. Thank goodness no-one in this utopia is counting calories or units of alcohol as Pop dispenses ever more inventive cocktail shaker. No wonder the story of the Larkin family was a success when it was adapted for television in the early 1990's when the country was last in the grip of recession and we hope that the Larkin's zest for everything life has to offer helps to lift everyone's spirits in these chilly November days.

I am very grateful to Stage-Door for giving me the chance to direct this play and to the cast and company for all the fun and hard work that have gone into bringing it to the Windmill stage. We wish you all a 'Perfick' evening!

Carol Davies.

Cast
Pop Larkin - David Williams

Ma Larkin - Fiona Humphrey

Mariette Larkin - Lyndsey Bowen / Harriet Roberts

Montgomery Larkin - Harry Perry

Primrose Larkin - Maddie Daisy Denby

Petunia Larkin - Josephine Sunderland

Zinnia Larkin - Chloe Retter

Victoria Larkin - Kirsty Ferris

Cedric Charlton - John Carroll

Edith Pilchester - Ann Anderson

Pauline Jackson - Harriet Roberts / Anna Leesley-Brown

Angela Snow - Karen Perry

The Brigadier - David Griffin

Sir George Bluff-Gore - Tony Makey

Lady Bluff-Gore - Micki Darbyshire

Tax Inspector - Brenda Hargraves

Party Guests - Alan Moss, Mike Gearing, Ricky Davey, Gary Boniface

Crew
Director - Carol Davies

Stage Manager - Ricky Davey

Back Stage Crew - Gary Boniface, Alan Moss, Louise Moss, Mike Gearing

Lighting - Harry Leisk

Sound - Barry Tinkler

Sound Effects created by - Stephen Simpson

Props - Christine Moss

Wardrobe - Sandra Booker

Set Design/Construction - Ricky Davey, Mike Gearing, Darren Retter, Tony Makey and Gary Boniface

Posters/Programs - Joy Covey

Publicity - Micki Darbyshire

Fight Co-Ordinator - Chris Davey

Awards
Stage-door Best Performance Award was awarded went to Fiona Humphrey for her portrayal as Ma Larkin