The Story: In the Victorian year of 1870, on the eve of the Franco-Prussian war, three generations of the Willow family occupy The Grange at Mayfield – the grandparents, parents and their seven daughters. Lucy is about to be married, by parental arrangement, to Thomas Trout, an unromantic man but who nevertheless dreams one day of being a hero.

Thomas has befriended a French actor and actress, Pierre Fontaine & Suzanne Valdis. The introduction of Pierre to Lucy is unfortunate for Thomas as they fall in love at first sight. On the day of the wedding just as Lucy is getting ready for church, Pierre arrives disguised as a doctor and persuades Lucy to elope with him. She feigns illness and Pierre diagnoses a contagious disease. Augustus, Lucy’s father rushes to the church to break the news. Lucy dressed as a page elopes to France with Pierre.

Adopting various disguises, her father, mother, Thomas and Cousin George go to France in search of Lucy and their attempts to look and speak like French people have amusing results. Lucy is eventually found with Pierre & Suzanne at the Café des Pommes in Eauville. News comes to the Café that war has been declared and Pierre leaves immediately to fight for France.

Back at Mayfield the family are preparing for Lucy’s birthday . It is not a happy event for Lucy as she has heard from Suzanne that Pierre has been killed. Thomas, now an officer in the Volunteers, still hopes Lucy will forget Pierre and marry him. Lucy tells Thomas she cannot forget but will accept his proposal providing he does not hasten the marriage. The birthday party is dramatically interrupted by Suzanne straight from starving Paris. She confesses she had been embittered against the English and its land of plenty and that she had misinformed Lucy about Pierre. She apologises and brings Lucy a birthday present - Pierre. Lucy is overjoyed but Pierre notices her ring. Thomas removes the ring and hands it to Pierre. Lucy and Pierre are reunited and Thomas’ long awaited wish to be a hero comes true.

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Joe Beeby; Zoe Gasson; Katie Green;Cindy Love; Amy Sutton; Jessica Bendellali