Jean Dixon reviews FMD-centred play, New Life:
This is a play about a small farming family during the FMD outbreak. It's both factual and humerous and gives an insight into the crisis that farming faces both then and now. It's well worth seeing and has much of the common sense of Howard Petch stamped upon it. Howard was one of the people with whom the author Maureen Lawrence researched. I never thought that a play about Foot and Mouth would be so enjoyable but the quality of acting and the overall quality of performance and presentation, with the flashes of true northern humour, made it a worthwhile evening's entertainment. The play looked towards the future expectantly – and if it wasn't for the threat of the Animal Death Bill we could all do so in real life! The schedule is as follows:

Sat 19 Oct
Village Hall
Edmundbyers
7.30, 01207 255644

Mon 21 Oct
Auction Mart
Clitheroe
7.30, 01200 427771

Tue 22 Oct
Hark to Bounty
Slaidburn
7.30, 01200 427771

Wed 23 Oct
Haskane with Downholland Village Hall
Haskane, Nr Omskirk
7.30, 01200 421771

Thur 24 Oct
Library Theatre
Darwen
7.30, 01254 706006

Fri 25 Oct
Village Hall
Chipping
7.30, 01995 61033

Sat 26 Oct
Auction Mart
Lancaster
7.30, 01200 427771

Tue 29 Oct
Village Hall
Arncliffe
7.30, 01756 770265

Wed 30 Oct
Victoria Hall
Settle
7.30, 01729 825718

Thu 31 Oct
Village Hall
Ingleby Greenhow
7.30, 01642 723492

Fri 1 Nov
Chelford Market
Macclesfield
7.30, 01244 602839

Wed 6 Nov
Village Hall
Goathland
7.00, 01947 896323

Thu 7 Nov
Parochial Hall
Sowerby, Thirsk
7.30, 01845 523536

Fri 8 Nov
Jubilee Hall
Malpas, Cheshire
7.30, 01948 860125

Sat 9 Nov
Village Hall
Plumley, Cheshire
7.30, 01565 722848

Tue 12 Nov
Village Hall
Holme-on-Spalding Moor
7.30, 01482 862974

Wed 13 Nov
The Witham
Barnard Castle
7.30, 01833 631107

Thu 14 Nov
Community Centre
Haydon Bridge
7.30, 01434 684705

Fri 15 Nov
Memorial Hall
Shap
7.30, 01931 716273

Sat 16 Nov
Village Hall
Brigsteer
7.30, 01539 568252

Tue 19 Nov
Studio Theatre Community College
Sedgefield
5.30, 01740 625319

Wed 20 Nov
Community Centre
Binchester
7.30, 01388 450337

Thu 21 Nov
Village Hall
Kirk Bampton
7.30, 01228 576755

Fri 22 Nov
Working Men's Club
Ferryhill
7.30, 01740 656283

Sat 23 Nov
Suddaby's Crown Hotel
Malton
7.30, 01653 692038

Tue 26 Nov
The Coliseum
Whitby
2.00 and 7.30, 01947 825000

Wed 27 Nov
Village Hall
Danby
7.30, 01287 660654

Thu 28 Nov
Village Hall
Osmotherley
7.30, 01609 883369

Fri 29 Nov
Rosedale Primary School
Rosedale Abbey
7.30, 01251 417278

Sat 30 Nov
Eversley Park Centre
Sherburn-in-Elmet
7.30, 01977 681024

New Life has been generously supported by:
The Rural Stress Information Network,
East Riding of Yorkshire Council,
The East Yorkshire Rural Stress Initiative and Rural Stress Action Plan.