THE final production in the current Company of Ten season captures the essence of Thomas Hardy even though the adaptation of his short story On the Western Circuit changes the emphasis.

The Day After The Fair has been adapted by Frank Harvey from the short story and while Hardy makes a young London barrister his central character, the adaptation focuses on the two women whose lives are changed by that man.

Yet by doing so, Harvey manages to capture the essential Thomas Hardy, a man of huge output and longevity who had empathy with women as victims and heroines in spite of their easily-stigmatised, male-dominated lives. It was that which set him apart from his contemporaries.

The Day After The Fair is being performed in the Abbey Theatre Studio from tomorrow (Friday) until next Saturday, July 9. Tickets are available from the box office or 01727 857861 or online at www.abbeytheatre.org.uk