Show 539: Rakin’ It Up, 25th October, The Theatre Royal, Winchester

a shed

Brothers Robert and Silas have always had a troubled relationship, since the elder (Robert) would, by the traditions of the ancient Grimshaw family, have the title of Lord of Grimshaw manor and all its privileges, while the younger brother Silas would spend his life in The Shed in the grounds of the sprawling estate.

But when the exotic American Miss Fairweather visits, both brothers woo her and her choice to select Robert because of his wealth drives Silas into a jealous rage that sees ancestral traditions unearthed, a war between the men of the shed, the pig farmers and the staff of the house drawn into a conflict that is only resolved when Silas asks himself the question: would he choose ambition or love?

NB This was an unusual Showstopper because the cast comprised five men and no women. The audience set it in a shed. The cast were responsible for all the fighting.