Farmer Trevor has a big problem. Given just months to live, he is faced with the dilemma of which one of his three children to bequeath his beloved farmstead to.
Each has their own beguiling qualities and Trevor just can’t choose between them. Then one fateful night in the cowshed, help arrives from the most unlikely of sources…
A rural romp, written and performed by “the Morecambe and Wise of Weston Super Mare” (The Daily Telegraph), featuring a multitude of agricultural antics and farmyard frolics, all told with homespun charm and wit and entirely in rhyme and song.
“World-class actors at the top of their game." The FTR
audience comments:
“Like King Lear. But with a cow”
“Such a funny and joyful evening”
“I know they are terribly modest and don’t want anyone to discuss their genius but ‘One Man and his Cow’ is hilarious”
“A fantastic evening; we laughed so hard”
Howard Coggins, who wrote the show and created the role of Trevor way back in 2013 has taken a leave of absence due to sickness. The part of Trevor will be played by…well…someone else. Check livingspit.co.uk for up to date casting details.”
Review by Jenni Balow
Take a domesticated talking ungulate, that is Spotted Judy, a cow by any other name, and slot her into a King Lear-like dilema involving the inheritance of two sons and a daughter, and you have the whimsical plot for Living Spit's latest show.
Take heart, if you are still with me, this is a totally daft idea for a storyline dreamed-up by dear Howard Coggins 10 years ago with the other half of Living Spit, Stu McLoughlin, and now touring the West of England.
Sadly Howard is very poorly and veteran actor and music man Ian Harris has stepped in for the moment to converse in rhyming couplets throughout, with Stu and Spotted Judy, of course.
This one hour production is the fourth to be brought to The Minack by Living Spit, who have built a big reputation for fun shows involving plenty of split-second role changes, primarily by Stu, using a range of head gear, wigs and gender switches, and perfect comic timing.
Ian has stepped into Howard's role like a pro, and is a stunning musician, ripping into fiddle riffs alongside Stu's double bass, squeeze box, guitar and ukelele for their original brand of musical comedy songs.
The script about a farmer who uses the wisdom of Spotted Judy to try to find the best of his three children, Dickon, Greg and Little Mo, to inherit his 'estate' might sound homespun, but the rhymes are neat and clever - link bovine conversation with fine lactation, or tittle-tattle with talking cattle, verbal flak with don't come back, largesse and dispossess.
This show really chimes with whimsical ryhmes!
The plan starts to go pear-shaped when Spotted Judy turns cunning, but this is a farmyard frolic, so nothing too serious goes down, although cow abuse and Breaking Bad get a mention in this cream of a Coronation Bank Holiday romp.
