Woodbarrow Farm Play in Three Acts

Woodbarrow Farm is a three-act comedy by Jerome K. Jerome first performed in 1897. The play is set in a rural English farm and follows the humorous and somewhat absurd situations that arise when a city man Mr. Barrington decides to visit his cousin’s farm for a supposed “country retreat” and quickly finds himself entangled in the everyday chaos of rural life. The story is a witty exploration of the clash between urban sophistication and the rustic simplicity of the countryside. In the first act Mr. Barrington arrives at Woodbarrow Farm with lofty expectations of peace and relaxation hoping to escape his busy life in London. However he is immediately confronted with the messiness of farm life from a clumsy farmhand to a series of comically bizarre incidents involving the animals and the farm's various eccentric characters. His discomfort and inability to adapt to the country setting provide much of the comedy as he contrasts the city’s orderly environment with the unpredictable chaos of rural life.