The lives of people in North Yorkshire were ruined a few years ago when foot-and-mouth virus was detected, and livestock by the thousands were destroyed. Now a local theatre has produced a play about that time, using local people. “The non-professional cast have had only minimal rehearsal time, which gives the production a rough-and-ready quality. That doesn’t diminish its effect, however. In fact, the lack of ‘acting’ only adds to the piece’s power and the sense that what you are witnessing, rather than a mere performance, is a genuine dialogue between stage and audience.”