Perennially hard-up, lecherous, conceited, dishonest and drunk, the eighteenth-century Squire Amos Haggard was first conceived by Michael Green and subsequently brought to television screens in Eric Chappell’s much-loved ITV series.
In Chappell’s stage adaptation, our anti-hero disguises himself as the notorious bar brawler ‘One-Eyed Will’, seduces a member of the aristocracy, poisons himself, survives an encounter with Death, fights a duel and ends up in prison waiting to be hanged. His son Roderick and servant Grunge are his not-so-faithful companions.
The author describes this hilarious adaptation as “an undisciplined romp” and encourages imagination, ingenuity and a great deal of fun in its staging.