Old Herbaceous

Written by Alfred Shaughnessy

Directed by Simon Downing

Herbert Pinnegar - Giles Shenton

Described as “Downton Abbey with gardening tips”, Old Herbaceous is the humorous love story of a single-minded yet gentle man with a passion for plants and is a charming one man play which has entranced sell-out audiences all around the country over the last five years.

An acute and sometimes hilarious observation of relationships between the classes in a simpler age, Old Herbaceous is sprinkled with witticisms and epithets. The evening blossoms into tender humour, much in the traditionally understated English style of the early 20th century.

As Old Herbaceous, renowned actor Giles Shenton truly lives the part of the legendary Head Gardener, Herbert Pinnegar, inviting you to feel included in a private chat from a bygone, comforting age. Keeping you engrossed, amused and emotionally engaged from start to finish, Old Herbaceous will leave you with a feeling that, perhaps, all’s right with the world.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2016

Royal Horticultural Society Arts Festival 2016

Festival of Gardens North Wales 2018

National Gardening Week 2018

Evesham Festival of Words 2018

Future dates (click on the link below each date to book tickets)   

1 Mar 2025  Cherington Village Hall, Warks

     https://buytickets.at/gilesshentonproductions 

8 Mar 2025  Market Theatre, Ledbury, Herefordshire

28 Mar 2025  Fisher Theatre, Bungay, Suffolk

23 May 2025  Ebrington Village Hall, Glos

     https://buytickets.at/gilesshentonproductions 

7 Sept 2025  Lifeways Centre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warks

     https://buytickets.at/gilesshentonproductions 

(OA) = Open Air Performance 

Past dates

18 Feb 2016 Phoenix Theatre, Bordon, Hants                    

20 Feb 2016 Phoenix Theatre, Bordon, Hants                 

28 Feb 2016 Vera Fletcher Hall, Thames Ditton, Surrey

10 June 2016 Quay Theatre, Sudbury, Suffolk               

16 July 2016 RHS, Wisley, Surrey              

12 Aug 2016 Byre Theatre, St Andrews, Scotland

20 Aug 2016 Brunton Theatre, Edinburgh        

17 Sept 2016 Stables Theatre, Great Comp, Kent         

24 Sept 2016 Brighton Open Air Theatre, Brighton     (OA)

15 Oct 2016 Nomad Theatre, East Horsley, Surrey

21 Oct 2016 Fisher Theatre, Bungay, Suffolk

3 Feb 2017 Hangar Farm Arts Centre, Hants

4 Feb 2017 Players Theatre, Thame, Oxon 

11 Feb 2017 Cygnet Theatre, Exeter, Devon

25 Mar 2017 North Nibley Hall, Glos 

1 Apr 2017 Oxenhall Hall, Glos

5 May 2017 Manor Pavilion Theatre, Sidmouth, Devon

18 May 2017 Stables Theatre, Great Comp, Kent ***SOLD OUT***

20 May 2017 Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, Surrey

28 May 2017 Barn Theatre, Smallhythe Place, Kent ***SOLD OUT***

10 June 2017 Box Hill, Surrey     (OA) ***SOLD OUT***

15 Jul 2017 The Amphitheatre, Waterperry Gdns, Oxon

19 Jan 2018 The Place, Bedford

26 Jan 2018 Angles Theatre, Wisbech, Cambs

08 Feb 2018 Leatherhead Theatre, Leatherhead, Surrey ***SOLD OUT***

09 Feb 2018 Wingfield Barns, Nr Diss, Suffolk

1 Mar 2018  Southwold Arts Centre, Southwold, Suffolk

24 Mar 2018 Spring Arts Centre, Havant, Hants 

3 May 2018 RHS Harlow Carr, Harrogate, N Yorkshire     (OA)

18 May 2018 Cranleigh Arts Centre, Cranleigh, Surrey

25 May 2018 The Core at Corby Cube, Corby

9 June 2018 Caerau Gardens, Bala, N Wales     (OA)

21 June 2018 Spetchley Park, Worcs     (OA)

27 June 2018 Grantham Guildhall Arts Centre

1 July 2018 Evesham Festival of Words, Worcs ***SOLD OUT***

4 July 2018 Torch Theatre, Milford Haven, Wales ***SOLD OUT***

5 July 2018 Moorland Garden Hotel, Devon     (OA)

8 July 2018 Loseley Park, Guildford, Surrey     (OA)

12 July 2018 Aberystwyth Arts Centre,  Ceredigion, Wales ***SOLD OUT***

14 July 2018 Miserden Estate, Gloucestershire     (OA)

21 July 2018 Plas Cadnant, Anglesey     (OA) ***SOLD OUT***

27 July 2018 Courtyard Theatre, Chipstead, Surrey

28 July 2018 Leckford Estate,  Stockbridge, Hampshire     (OA)

29 July 2018 Sussex Prairie Garden, East Sussex     (OA)

4 Aug 2018 Cliveden House Hotel, Berks     (OA)

10 Aug 2018 Avon Mill, Kingsbridge, Devon     (OA) ***SOLD OUT***

11 Aug 2018 Avon Mill, Kingsbridge, Devon     (OA) ***SOLD OUT***

12 Aug 2018 Burrow Farm Gardens, Devon     (OA)

8 Sept 2018 Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset     (OA)

19 Sept 2018 Middlesbrough Theatre, Middlesbrough

4 Oct 2018 Old Sorting Office Arts Centre, Barnes Green, London

27 Oct 2018 Betchworth Village War Memorial Hall, Surrey (in aid of Cancer Research UK) ***SOLD OUT***

1 Dec 2018 Lodsworth Hall, West Sussex ***SOLD OUT***

30 Mar 2019  Sarah Thorne Theatre, Broadstairs, Kent

6 April 2019  Worlingworth Community Centre, Suffolk ***SOLD OUT***

13 April 2019  Cotswold Playhouse, Stroud, Glos

24 April 2019 Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, Suffolk

18 May 2019 Ralph Court Gardens,  Herefordshire

19 May 2019 Picton Castle, South Wales

2 June 2019 The Mount Hotel Country Manor, Wolverhampton     (OA)

7 June 2019 The Corn Hall, Diss, Norfolk

13 June 2019 The Garden House, Yelverton, Devon     (OA)

15 June 2019 Lichfield Garrick Theatre, WestMids ***SOLD OUT***

19 June 2019 Stamford Arts Centre, Lincs

21 June 2019 Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, West Midlands

28 June 2019 South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell     (OA)

29 June 2019 Leith Hill Place, Dorking, Surrey     (OA)

5 July 2019 Woodcote House, Salcombe, Devon     (OA)

6 July 2019 Scorrier House, Cornwall     (OA)

18 July 2019 Savoy Theatre, Monmouth, Wales

21 July 2019 Batsford Arboretum, Glos     (OA)

27 July 2019 The Walled Nursery, Hawkhurst, Kent     (OA)

10 Aug 2019 RHS Rosemoor, Torrington, Devon

13 Aug 2019 Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Dorset     (OA)

14 Aug 2019 Seaton Jurassic Amphitheatre, Devon     (OA)

15 Aug 2019 Acorn Theatre, Penzance, Cornwall

17 Aug 2019 Trebah Gardens Amphitheatre, Cornwall     (OA)

18 Aug 2019 Larmer Tree Gardens, South Wiltshire     (OA)

24 Aug 2019  Weald and Downland Museum, Sussex     (OA)

7 Sept 2019 Furzey Gardens, Hants     (OA)

8 Sept 2019 The Gibberd Garden, Harlow, Essex     (OA)

15 Sept 2019 The Barn Theatre, Oxted, Surrey

9 Nov 2019 Ralph Court Gardens,  Herefordshire

15 Nov 2019 Manton Village Hall, Leicestershire ***SOLD OUT***

16 Nov 2019 Caunton Dean Hole Community Centre, Nottinghamshire

9 Dec 2019 South Downs National Park Memorial Hall, W Sussex ***SOLD OUT***

14 Dec 2019 Cryer Arts Centre, Carshalton, Surrey 

10 Jan 2020 Brixham Theatre, Brixham, Devon   

7 Feb 2020  Muskham Rural Community Centre, Nottinghamshire 

8 Feb 2020 West Deeping Village Hall, Lincolnshire ***SOLD OUT***

2 May 2020 Swallowfield Parish Hall, Berkshire ***POSTPONED - NEW DATE TBA*** 

     Tickets from Swallowfield Parish Stores or phone 0118 9885989/0118 9734017

10 May 2020 The Milton Rooms, Malton, N Yorks ***POSTPONED - NEW DATE TBA*** 

22 May 2020 Ffwrnes,  Llanelli, Wales  ***POSTPONED - NEW DATE  Tue 13 October 2020*** 

28 June 2020 Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens, Birmingham     (OA)  ***POSTPONED - NEW DATE TBA*** 

12 July 2020  The David Hall, South Petherton, Somerset  ***POSTPONED - NEW DATE TBA***  

18 July 2020 The Laundry,  Llanrhaeadr, North Wales     (OA) ***POSTPONED - NEW DATE TBA***

24 July 2020  Haverhill Arts Centre, Suffolk ***POSTPONED - NEW DATE TBA*** 

5 Sept 2020 Galstonbury Abbey, Somerset ***POSTPONED - NEW DATE TBA*** 

12 Sept 2020  Great Alne Park Amphitheatre, Warwickshire ***POSTPONED - NEW DATE TBA***

26 Sept 2020 Skipton Little Theatre, Skipton, Yorks ***POSTPONED - NEW DATE TBA*** 

13 Oct 2020 Ffwrnes,  Llanelli, Wales ***POSTPONED - NEW DATE TBA*** 

9 Nov 2020 Sussex NAFAS   ***POSTPONED - NEW DATE TBA*** 

18 April 2021 The Cryer Arts Centre, Carshalton, Surrey  ***POSTPONED - NEW DATE TBA***

22 May 2021 Upper Thames Boat Club, Sonning  ***SOLD OUT***

19 June 2021 Core Theatre, Solihull, West Midlands

20 June 2021 The Milton Rooms, Malton, N Yorks

4 July 2021 Barcroft Hall, South Petherton, Somerset  (OA)

31 July 2021 Thames Ditton (private event)

1 Aug 2021 Robertsbridge Village Hall, Roberstbridge, East Sussex

29 Aug 2021 Dog & Duck Arts Festival, Dog & Duck PH, Outwood, Surrey

11 Sept 2021 Ilmington Village Hall, Ilmington, Warwickshire

25 Sept 2021 Stokeinteignhead Village Hall, Devon  

7 Mar 2022  Windmill Theatre, Littlehampton, East Sussex  ***SOLD OUT***

25 June 2022 Green Island Gardens, Colchester, Essex (OA)

26 July 2022  Brixham Theatre, Brixham, Devon

18 Aug 2022  Brixham Theatre, Brixham, Devon

14 Oct 2022  Two Sisters Arts Centre, Felixstowe, Suffolk 

25 Nov 2022  Slinden Coronation Hall, Slinden, East Sussex

14 Dec 2022  South West Shropshire Gardening Club, Lydbury Village Hall, Shropshire 

23 Feb 2023  The Ropewalk, Barton-upon-Humber 

21 July 2023  Petersfield Museum, Petersfield, Hants  ***SOLD OUT***

4 Aug 2023  Ilminster Arts Centre, Ilminster, Somerset

15 Sept 2023  Barton-Under-Needwood Village Hall, Staffs

8 Feb 2024  The Astor Theatre, Deal, Kent

13 Apr 2024  Festival Drayton Centre, Shropshire

27 April 2024  Parish Hall, Ufford, Suffolk  ***SOLD OUT***

1 Nov 2024  The Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

2 Nov 2024  The Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford Upon Avon

“What exactly was the factor that kept the audience riveted to Giles Shenton’s performance? 

It’s a simple story: old Herbert Pinnegar has spent his life as a gardener at ‘the big house’ shares his memories with us.  His interest in flowers and plants was aroused with the help and encouragement of the village schoolmistress.  He won first prize in the village fair’s wild flower competition, and when “My Lady” presented him with the prize and whispered to him that he won because he had carefully cut the flowers, not simply yanked them out of the ground as others had: thus began his lifelong devotion to plants, and to her.  All the village boys were destined to work on the land, but Herbert refused: fortunately he was taken on as an apprentice by Captain and Mrs. Charteris at the Big House. We hear of Herbert’s first day at work and his gradual rise up the ranks within the garden until eventually he becomes head gardener, addressed as “Mr Pinnegar”.

A few useful gardening tips are slipped in among his stories.  He learned a valuable lesson about the fickleness of women at an early age, and we gradually realise his mute adoration of ‘my lady’, who values his worth as a gardener, appreciates the things he does for her and his refusal to be seduced away from ‘his’ garden by the lure of higher wages elsewhere, but almost certainly sees him as ‘just a gardener’.  Mrs Charteris’ health gradually declines, the estate has to be sold, but he is not thrown out of his tied cottage, as might be expected: the new owners have agreed to let Herbert stay in his cottage as long as he needs it.  We leave Herbert sitting with his memories as the light slowly fades…

This is a simple, low-key, elegiac piece, yearning for a long-lost way of life: Giles Shenton draws us into his world from his first entrance.  The set is a pretty realistic greenhouse: Herbert potters about among the plants, pots and other paraphernalia, washing flower pots, potting on plants, drinking from his flask of tea, and chatting as he does so, and we are held entranced from start to finish.  The piece doesn’t have bells, whistles, or fireworks, but it is a nostalgic, quietly satisfying evening spent with someone who creates an instant rapport with the audience, drawing us into his world and making the characters in it so real we feel you have known them forever. 

The audience were loud and enthusiastic in their applause.

Adapted by Alfred Shaughnessy from Reginald Arkell’s novel of the same name, Old Herbaceous is an hour and a half of sheer delight. Upon entering the theatre we are greeted at our seats by a small packet of seeds and, with that, the scene is set for the heartfelt story to unfold. From there we meet the quietly loveable Herbert, as he reminisces about his seemingly ordinary life as a gardener on a large country estate.

The stage set as a gloriously normal garden shed and this is where all the action happens. Plants and pots strewn around the place, hooks to hang hat and overcoats, a little chair and a flask of tea. It is quaint, familiar and entirely believable, you really do feel like you are watching a man in his own garden shed. There are even times we can actually smell the plants, creating a scene which is evocative and immersive throughout.

A one man show, Old Herbaceous himself guides us through the quietly twisting and turning story that is his life. Herbert, as he’d rather be known, potters around his garden shed for the duration, sipping tea and potting plants. His story starts back before the Second World War and his very humble beginnings in life and travels right up until he is the old man in his garden shed that we see before us. Visiting village fetes, first jobs, the Chelsea Flower Show and Torquay along the way.

Giles Shenton is superb as the title character, completely captivating, he has the audience’s attentions and imaginations throughout. It is a testament to both the writing and Shenton’s abilities that an hour and a half of watching a man talk to himself is so engaging. Shenton is incredibly emotive in his performance and this really resonates with the story being told.

There is a slight change in tone over the second half. With everything that went before it rhetorical within its audience interaction, questions feeling as if they were asked to the character by the character. However, after the short interval questions are posed directly to the audience and small pieces of plant are passed around for everyone to experience. Although the sensory interaction is a very welcome, it does feel a bit jarring within the monologue structure of the piece.

This lovingly created production is a joy to watch. Sad at times, it unexpectedly twists into a quiet love story of sorts. A delightful tale, beautifully told, Old Herbaceous is a treat to watch and not just for garden lovers.

Review - Corn Hall, Diss  

OLD HERBACEOUS – A NIGHT AT THE THEATRE THAT WAS A DELIGHT FROM BEGINNING TO END

Alfred Shaughnessy’s sensitive adaption of Reginald Arkell’snovel is a delight from beginning to end, cleverly distilling not just the narrative, but also the spirit of Arkell’s gentle story of a gardener who lived and worked on a large country estate his entire life.

Giles Shenton does a great job of investing Herbert Pinnegar with humanity and stoicism, as he potters around his greenhouse, telling of his time – man and boy – tending to a garden he thought of as his own. We hear of little adventures – a trip to the Chelsea flower show, the judging of a horticultural competition – but the play is really about his touching relationship with Mrs Charteris (the lady of the house), whose bond with him is both profound and unspoken.

Pinnegar knows his place with a deference that might, in less skilled hands, have felt uneasy, but the combination of Shaughnessy‘s writing and Shenton’s performance instead lends a grace and dignity to a story of an ordinary man who is nonetheless quietly remarkable. This is a play about his life, his love of a garden and the woman who owned it, and about times long gone, all beautifully crafted and expertly told.

Surrey Advertiser

“One very talented actor, Giles Shenton, keeps us engrossed, entertained, amused and emotionally engaged for an hour and a half as a gardener in a potting shed... who knew that would work? 

A wonderful production: funny, emotional, touching, instructive: as it's been dubbed: "Downton Abbey with gardening tips" (and some cookery ones too!)... and an acute and sometimes hilarious observation of relationships between the classes in a gentler, simpler age.

Herbert Pinnegar (“Old Herbaceous”) reminisces & tells us his life story, man and foundling boy; from his transformation, as a “no-hoper” school boy with a gammy leg, to Head Gardener and on to the dizzy heights of officiating for the RHS! All this under the tender, but ever class-conscious protection and encouragement of his employer, his “ dear lady”, Mrs Charteris forever remembered, cherished and though never actually said, loved from his boyhood as, “the laughing lady in white, who gave me my first chance”. Herbert recounts his transformations and epiphany moments through his times as a lowly gardener’s boy, to under gardener and then to the responsibilities of managing people as Head Gardener; all of these he treats with a gentle good humour and plenty of endearing country common sense. 

The piece is sprinkled with witticisms and epithets, a gentle humour, all much in the traditionally understated English style of the early 20th century. Yet many of these are timeless: “A garden is like life itself: full of good and evil”; “You can’t be angry for long... not in a garden.” The tender care of plants is almost a euphemism for the nourishing of our relationships. A simple, but most effective and accurate set transforms the piece, with sensitive and expressive lighting. I could almost smell the compost and twine. 

Giles Shenton truly lives the part and really does make us all feel it’s a private chat from a bygone and comforting age and that we leave all the better for having listened to his shared experiences, with a feeling that all’s right with the world. 

This wonderful production deserves a much wider audience and a long run! The end of the piece, where though never spoken aloud, his true feelings are revealed, is one of the most moving I have seen in a long time... take your hanky!” 

Dorchester News

'You can't stay angry for long can you, not in a garden?'

This one man play is a sensitive adaptation of Reginald Arkell's novel of the same name and is a nostalgic delight from beginning to end. It cleverly conveys not just its gentle story but also the essential niceness of a Head Gardener, Herbert Pinegar, who lived and worked on a country estate his entire life äfier a childhood spent as a slightly crippled orphan, adopted by a truly kindly lady who inspired in him his love for gardening.

As we see Pinegar pottering around his greenhouse, he recalls his life from that caring start to being Head Gardener - a life story of two loves - for the garden he tends and will eventually manage but also, and more importantly, the unfolding story of his warm, mutually respectful and loyal relationship with the lady of the house; a bond both profound yet understated.

It is a tale of a bygone era, gently dismissive of modern ways, of an ordinary man who is actually quite remarkable and deserving of his employer's respect and collaboration. We are transported to a time long gone of a simpler life, lived in a calmer world.

Giles Shelton's highly skilled performance is perfectly timed, full of humorous anecdotes and not for one moment are we bored listening to him chattering on! 

A tour de force, expertly and beautifully told, at times funny yet at others full of pathos and bringing us to tears.

I am so glad that I was able to experience this delightful play. It is on tour and highly recommended.

'How kind Pinegar, how very kind'

Theatre in Wales

“Old Herbaceous” is set in a greenhouse, the private domain of the aged gardener, Herbert Pinnegar. The design is both simple and elaborate, comprising a hundred-plus workaday items that are a gardener's necessities. Spade and rake, metal jug and ewer feature. Giles Shenton, in corduroy trousers, cap and apron, pots his seedlings, whets his knife, paints the leaves of plants. In an earlier time plain soap and water were used for protection. He wipes his forehead and rosy cheeks in the warmth under glass. 

The company has gifted us a pack of seeds apiece to be found on every seat. Shenton plucks some leaves from the scented geraniums. He hands them to the front row, asks us to pass them on, to admire the scents of lemon and orange. 

And he talks, relating the course of a life in its simple entirety. Herbert Pinnegar has not been dealt the best of advantages. A foundling child he has a leg condition that prevents military service when the call comes in 1939. Barely into teenagehood he presents himself at the Manor in Fairfield- the setting is Gloucestershire- for enrolment as an under-gardener. His hair, as was the fashion, is slicked with vaseline. From then the script breathes flowers. Herbert recalls mimulus, sweet rocket, begonia, lily of the valley. His technique with early strawberries awes the gentry whom he serves. 

The years as under-gardener are those of work. Pinnegar comes to see in the garden a small simulacrum of the world itself. The foes are constant in the form of blight, weed and nettle. He shows us his own weapon against the ever-chomping slugs, a half-orange. With time he ascends to head gardener. He is pressed against his inclination to be judge at a county show. He is obliged to make a public speech at the show which he carries off with naïve aplomb. The once-foundling is startled to find he has made a mention in the newspaper. 

Beyond the garden is an older Britain. On elevation to his role of authority he is challenged. Pinnegar dissects the nature of the challenge and sees it off some guile. He observes the social stratification that plays out at the Chelsea Show. The gardeners are finely turned out, their employers always a few feet ahead are in their uniform of aged tweeds. The tension between classes runs throughout. Pinnegar and his employer, the prematurely widowed Mrs Charteris, are as bonded in general care for the garden as they are regularly divided over daily practice. But the bond in common persists to dementia and death. Maybe there is an allegorical meaning to be had for our times of fractiousness. But a good script flowers in rich detail.

At the end the lighting closes in on the face and grows ever paler before extinction. Pinnegar, a man from another age, becomes a kind of Everyman. His has been a life that has seen the world narrowly but narrowness does not preclude being in it deeply, and feeling it knowingly. 

Theatre itself is a richly flowered garden; the competition for audience is fierce. From its reception here it is easy to see why “Old Herbaceous” will be getting those 75 performances this year.  

“Hello Giles, Yesterday evening I saw your performance of OH at the museum in Petersfield. I had reservations about going, as around 40 years or so ago I saw a performance of the piece at the Salisbury Playhouse, if memory serves me correctly. Around about that time I had recently left the teaching profession and been taken on by an elderly lady as a somewhat mature "apprentice" to her retained gardener. After a few years following his death I took on running the 3 acre garden myself until the old lady died in her nineties some seventeen years later. As you can imagine there were so many resonances in the play of my own experiences, albeit some decades later. I have treasured such vivid and delightful memories from the Salisbury telling of Herbert's story that I feared an oncoming anti-climax yesterday. Happily I can report no such thing occured!! I will hopefully keep the same memories of your wonderful Petersfield telling equally clearly. Well done and thank you.”

Steve - Petersfield Museum performance

"What a joy last night was! Loved every minute of the play...fantastic."

Judy - Brixham Theatre performance

"I was a bum on seat on the 10th. Just one word, three syllables; Fab U Lous"

Charles - Brixham Theatre performance

"I wanted to write to you to say how much we enjoyed the performance of 'Old Herbaceous' at The Barn Theatre last night. Having seen '3 Men in a Boat' at Great Comp we were keen to see another production and had heard great things about this show and it didn't disappoint.
The direction was superb, just a minimal amount of business to enhance the dialogue and the thing that struck us particularly was the unbelievably poignant pauses. Giles' performance was a masterclass in pace, delivery, expression and emotion. Both my husband and I cried at the end and the oh so slow use of the diminishing light made it even more poignant. We both felt moved and up-lifted in equal measure. A really captivating and memorable evening. We look forward to more.

Victoria - Barn Theatre, Oxted performance

"Just wanted to congratulate you on the fantastic performance of Old Herbaceous in Stafford last night. I bought the book several years ago and found it a charming, gentle story, very moving and poignant. As a keen gardener, it really appealed to me. I thought the way it was adapted to the theatre was just right, the actor was fantastic and the timing of the final scene between the lighting and the actor's breathing and demeanour was so poignant and moving. Thank you so much for a wonderful experience. Please pass on my comments and gratitude to those concerned."    

Marian - Stafford Gatehouse performance

"We just got home from Betchworth Memorial Hall where we were treated to a marvellous performance of Old Herbaceous - Giles was absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for a brilliant production of this unique story, we thoroughly enjoyed it! Well done !!!!"     

Pauline - Betchworth Hall performance in aid of Cancer Research

"Went to see the play 'Old Herbaceous' last night at a local garden center. My wife and I thought about going, or should I say not going, as it was a grey and overcast evening with much rain in the air and while there was a hardcover over the space the sides were open to the elements. With all that said we are so glad that we did. The play is a one-hander, one actor only, and Giles Shenton who plays Herbert Pinnager had a presence on stage that held the audience captivated. The set is simple and unfussy, as is the lighting, and this allowed the audience to get a feel for the period of the piece but also focusing our attention on the man on the stage. The story that unfolds is a simple one. Pinnager is a gardener from boyhood who gets a job working for the owners of a manor house and over the years moves up to become the head gardener. What is so engaging is that the character of Pinnager not only tells the story of his life but also gives a flavor of the lives of the people who moved around him as the years pass by. With funny anecdotes that had us all laughing out loud and an interaction with the audience that was finely balanced the story moved on very well. Threaded through all is a soft and subtle love story, gently told and very much felt. The acting was confident and at the same time measured so you felt as an audience member that you were having a conversation with the character of Pinnager rather than watching a play. The ending is very moving and I will say no more. You might have gathered from the above that we enjoyed the evening enormously and we did. If you get a chance to see this fine play then I heartily recommend that you do so. You will not be disappointed."     

Kevin - Avon Mill performance

"A wonderful performance last night! Much enjoyed and very moving.....thank you!     

Diana - Avon Mill performance

"Had front row seat for last night's Old Herbaceous at Cliveden. What a wonderful performance! Such a mixture of emotions and had me sobbing right at the end. Totally brilliant performance from Giles Shenton and had me gripped from beginning to end. Thank you."     

Jan - Cliveden House performance  

"It was so fabulous, very moving. Thank you very much."     

Emma - Sussex Prairie Gardens performance

"What a brilliant evening . I was moved to tears . Thank you."     

Chrissie - Sussex Prairie Gardens performance

"I saw it last Friday at Chipstead and thought it was wonderful. Can only say if anyone gets the chance to see this -  don't miss it!     

Rick - Courtyard Theatre performance

"My Mum's not been able to stop talking about the play all evening and absolutely loved it.... Frankly I can’t think of a subject more alien to my interests than gardening, but I thought it was utterly exceptional and Giles Shenton's performance so warm, engaging, and genuine. Had me captivated the whole way through. Really moving."     

Jaime  - Loseley Park performance

"Just returned home from watching Old Herbaceous at the Moorland Garden Hotel. It was “bloody brilliant”. I have been chasing this production for years but it has never come near enough to home. The whole production was just what I had perceived and I thoroughly, thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it. Well done to you all, please keep it up and bring your other productions to the Moorland Garden Hotel please, but please let me know. Many thanks."     

Valerie - Moorland Garden Hotel performance

"After coming to see your production of Old Herbaceous last night in Grantham, I feel compelled to write and thank you and Giles Shenton. I smiled all the way through ( second row back, on the right!) Giles' fantastic performance ( apart from the obvious moments when I welled up!) and really felt like I was chatting with an old friend/ relative. I felt an instant connection and real warmth with the character, Mr Pinnegar was absolutely charming. I will remember this play and Giles' performance always, it really struck a cord with me. Thank you, and I hope to see you again. "  

Emily - Grantham Guildhall Arts Centre performance

"I’m just home from this, what a rare treat! Thank you SO much..."   

Sally - Grantham Guildhall Arts Centre performance

"Wonderful performance tonight. Thank you so much."   

Rob - Cranleigh Arts Centre performance

"Possibly one of the most poignant, beautifully acted, heartwarming plays I have ever seen...and I have seen many! My only regret is that I didn't get the opportunity to tell Giles Shenton, in person, how utterly amazing his performance was! Outstanding."   

Kim - Cranleigh Arts Centre performance

BBC Radio Surrey - "really special"

BBC Radio Sussex - "Wow!.......superb!"

BBC Radio Lincolnshire - "Reminiscent of going down the allotment with your grandad….....a wonderful, wonderful evening"

BBC Radio York - "absolutely idyllic"

BBC Radio Kent - "not to be missed"