24 April – 5 May      

The setting is the bar of a country pub. Two amiable storytellers explain that they have a strange tale to tell that involves Trevor, a terminally ill farmer, his three grown-up children, and a much-loved cow with a well-kept secret or two. Which of Trevor’s children will inherit the farm? This idea of an inheritance disputed between three siblings has echoes of King Lear, though that play, as far as I recall, fails to explore inter-species friendship. But here we have cow-friendly Trevor, portrayed with rustic charm by Ian Harris, whose affection for his favourite bovine, Judy, would seem to be reciprocated. All the other roles, including Judy, are taken by Stu Mcloughlin. The narrative demands that Mcloughlin must frequently swap one role for another with lightning speed. In one of the show’s funniest scenes, he portrays all three of the Trevor’s children, two sons and a daughter, as near to simultaneously as a change of headgear will allow.

Both performers have the happy knack of quickly establishing a close rapport with the audience. They are talented multi-instrumentalists who wear their skills lightly, whether playing violin, double-bass, mandolin, or guitar. The narrative is delivered entirely in rhyming verse, frequently interspersed with songs that wittily parody various genres. I particularly warmed to a blues number entitled ‘Cow Abuse.’

Much of Living Spit’s oeuvre, such as Adolf And Winston, is based upon historical events or familiar stories, but One Man And His Cow is entirely original. The humour here is generally of a whimsical kind, offering charm in abundance, but rather less of the risqué ribaldry found in many of their other shows. There are some moments of verbal naughtiness, though of a relatively mild kind. Given the unashamed silliness of the storyline, it is a tribute to this duo’s acting skills that amid all the nonsense there are also fleeting moments of real pathos.

Ian Harris has had the formidable challenge of standing in for the much-loved Howard Coggins, who has been unwell. He has fulfilled this task with aplomb. Fans, and there are many, will doubtless wish Coggins a swift return to both health and stage, but that in no way diminishes appreciation for Harris’s talents.

Continuing at the Weston Studio until May 5^th, One Man And His Cow features very clever performances and a quirkily off-beat storyline. Catch it if you can.

★★★★☆  Mike Whitton,  25 April 2023