Date: 25 May – 16 June

Time: 2:30pm / 7:30pm

Price: From £10

Nothing will grow for eccentric, high-born Mrs St Maugham in the dry earth of her once

grand Sussex garden. Indoors, the situation is even worse. Her wild and damaged

granddaughter, sixteen-year- old Laurel, sets fires and throws tantrums.

When the enigmatic Miss Madrigal arrives to take up the post of Laurel’s companion, the

household is disconcerted by her evasive oddity. Where has she come from, and why does

she refuse to speak about her past?

Both singular comedy and haunting mystery, this startling insight into mother-daughter

relationships is regarded as one of the twentieth century’s most remarkable plays. The

author of many books and dramas, Enid Bagnold is still best known for her 1935

novel, National Velvet.

Penelope Keith makes a welcome return to Chichester to play Mrs St Maugham. Her roles

here encompass The Apple Cart, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Way of the World,

Entertaining Angels and Mrs Pat.

Amanda Root, returning to Chichester following The Deep Blue Sea (2011), plays Miss

Madrigal; Oliver Ford Davies, who appeared in Goodnight Mister Tom (2011), makes his

Festival debut.

Alan Strachan directed Entertaining Angels (2006) and Mrs Pat (2015) with Penelope Keith

at Chichester; his many West End productions range from plays by Coward and Ayckbourn

to Tennessee Williams and Shakespeare.