Southwick Players’ Far From The Madding Crowd takes on Hardy’s classic fiction and a famous film version but wins hands down on both counts.

Mark Healy’s adaptation tells the story in quick short scenes, brilliantly staged in the round with enormous pace by director Claire Lewis, dramatically augmented by dance, movement and mime.

Music, always close to Hardy’s heart, has been written by Michael James and is performed with rustic charm in the pitch perfect setting of the Barn Theatre. Never have the oak beams been more appropriate.

The cast are breathtaking: Martha Perrin captures the essence of Bathsheba’s feisty flightiness as she wavers between duty, desire and good husbandry (in a far more believable depiction than ever appeared on screen).

She is well matched by sturdy Tony Bright as Gabriel, growing in stature as surely as the spring crop.

Kit Corcoran and Ben Judd become bad Boldwood and feckless Troy with relish yet each is sufficiently skilful to find depth and sympathy in multi- faceted interpretations.

There is much humour from the agricultural chorus of ‘mechanicals’, constantly fascinating character comings and goings, each man in his time taking many parts.

Victorian realism - Southwick triumph.

For tickets visit www.southwickcommunitycentre.org.uk/whats-on.html