The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama have been developing this musical by Barbara Campbell and Gary Schocker for sometime now, and re presenting this excellent adaptation of the Hardy classic at ring 2005.

The thrust of the show centres around Bathsheba Everdene, played by Philip Biggs, a young woman who bucks the system by attempting to run the farm she inherits from her uncle.

Pursued by Mr Boldwood, Nick Phillips, a neighbouring land owner, she falls in love with Sergeant Frank Troy, Thomas Hart, a rakish soldier, but everything soon goes wrong.

She is unaware of the feelings for her of Gabriel Oak, Andrew Short, a proud shepherd and 'rock' in her employ and as things go from bad to worse what will happen?

As one would expect from such an organisation, the singing and acting is superb throughout the entire cast, and the storyline is abridged nicely to fit the time restrictions required.

Take my advise, get your ticket at once, this could seriously be a West End show before too long.

*****