The Corn is Green (National Theatre Edition) by Emlyn Williams

The Corn is Green (National Theatre Edition) Reviews

• 
  Matt Law

  Morgan Evans’ essay on “How I would spend my holiday”:

  “The mine is dark... If a light come in the mine... the rivers in the mine will run fast with the voice of many women; the walls will fall in, and it will be the end of the world... But when I walk through the Tan - something - shaft, in the dark, I can touch with my hands the leaves on the trees, and underneath where there is a wind in the shaft, not carbon monoxide they talk about, it smells like the sea, only like as if the sea had fresh flowers lying about... and that is my holiday."

  
  Miss Moffat inherited some money and a house in a remote Welsh mining village and started a school for the local boys, where she was determinded to help young local miners out of poverty by teaching them to read and write. Miss Moffat soon discovered the talents of one of the young miners, Morgan Evans. She promised to do her best to send Morgan to apply for a scholarship to Oxford University. Emlyn Williams' heartwarming, wholesome and witty semi-autobiographical play touches on the problems of social mobility, nature v. nurture.
  
  I was lucky enough to see the play at the National Theatre last week. Very interesting to see how director Dominic Cooke brings a new staging to the modern audience - the role of Emyln Williams was created to read out all the stage directions at the beginning. The miners as the male chorus watched the whole drama unfolded and provided the soundtrack while standing at the back or sides. (the music was really great. the harnomy was very lush!).
  
  Here’s another funny quote: “That man is so stupid, it sits on him like a halo.” - Miss Moffat describes the Squire.