THE new Thomas Hardy players' abridged performance of Under The Greenwood Tree captured all the charm and candour of the original work.

Script writer Jennifer Bailey did an admirable job of condensing the play into an hour and a half, largely thanks to expanding the role of minor character Jane, who narrated parts of the tale.

The story revolves around affluent school teacher Fancy Day, who courts three men but eventually chooses to marry innocent young villager Dick Dewy instead of the manipulative church warden Frederick Shiner or the staid Rev Arthur Maybold.

While the performers' accents were suitably broad, particularly among those playing the Mellstock Quire, there were negative and positive aspects to hosting the performance outdoors.

The main downside was the performers having to compete with background noise from traffic on a nearby road, a competition which, sadly, was not won by every performer in every scene.

Unsurprisingly, Dorchester town crier Alistair Chisholm, playing Dick Dewy's grandfather William, had no such problems.

The biggest plus point to performing outdoors was the obvious connection between the players and the great outdoors of Dorset that inspired Hardy so much.

The light-hearted scenes near the beginning of the play, that seemed to revolve largely around quaffing cider and eating, seemed all the more organic for being al fresco.

The play was punctuated with lively dances and fantastic live music by John Foxwell on the violin and Jenny Trotman on the accordion.

Overall the play was performed with an obvious passion, energy and a sense of earthiness.