Young Anne Garlandis being wooed by three suitors: John Loveday, a gallant soldier (and trumpet-major), Bob Loveday, his reckless but sexier younger brother and Festus Derriman, the pompous nephew of the local squire, a milos gloriosus figure. With the constant fear of invasion by Napoleon's troops affecting everyone in the small Wessex village in which the action is set, Anne finds her fortunes ever bound up with historical events as she fluctuates between her lovers, before making her surprising final choice.

Author Biography

Michael Fry's previous adaptations include Tess of the d'Urbervilles, which has now been performed in over fifty productions throughout Britain and worldwide, and highly acclaimed stage versions of Emma and The Great Gatsby. His numerous directing credits include, most recently, the Lyric Hammersmith, the King's Head and the Gate.