Farm Boy by Michael Morpurgo

'WAR HORSE SEQUEL PLOUGHS A RICH FURROW' **** Daily Mail

Award-winning former Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo’s story Farm Boy is a sequel to his much-loved novel ‘War Horse’, a moving account of the changing face of the English countryside and centres on the bonds linking grandfather to grandson and ultimately both to the land.

'I hope you like my story - I wrote it for you just to show I could.

It’s about the old tractor and it’s about Joey and it’s about me.'

It sometimes felt as though time had stood still down on the family farm – swallows nesting in the eaves, the old Fordson tractor quietly rusting at the back of the barn, Grandpa still tending his chickens - that is, until the Summer his grandson finished school and came to stay, and the old man started telling stories of what it had been like on the farm when he was a boy.

John Walters plays Grandfather, Matt Powell is Grandson. The director/adapter is Daniel Buckroyd. Music is composed by Matt Marks and lighting is by Mark Dymock. The classic 1922 Fordson tractor is created by Tim Brierley.

Daniel Buckroyd’s recent directing credits include a 4 month tour of ‘Those Magnificent Men’ the story of Alcock and Brown. He has also directed and adapted Michael Morpurgo’s ‘The Butterfly Lion’.

John Walters has been in many West End productions and was in the New Perspectives UK tour of Richard Benson’s ‘The Farm’. Film roles include in Spielberg’s ‘Saving Private Ryan’ and the Award winning ‘Ever After’. Matt Powell’s short film ‘Doors’ was screened at the Zion Art Centre Manchester last year. His recent stage credits include as Eddie in Willy Russell’s ‘Blood Brothers’ and Walter in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘The Woman In White’.

Running time 60 mins

31 August 2010