Inn at the Top by the Castle Players

Neil Hanson back on the pumps

"Inn at the Top" by Castle Players is a delightful production that brings Neil Hanson's memoir to life with charm and humour. The play recounts the story of Neil and his wife Sue's time running the Tan Hill Inn, the highest inn in the British Isles, from 1978 to 1979. They had no experience of the licensed trade, no knowledge of farming and, as “offcomers”, a complete inability to understand the dialect of the sheep farmers who formed the majority of their local customers but they brought with them a drive to try and a love of people.

Castle Players cast "in trouble wit' law"

Adapted by Laurence Sach and brilliantly told in a pseudo narrative style by Ben Pearson as Neil and Alison Ivanec as Sue, the show is made up a series of vignettes as they adapt to, and are adopted by, the rugged landscape and even more rugged characters.

Ben Pearson and Alison Ivanec with a couple of wiley auld farmers

The Castle Players have done a fantastic job of capturing the essence of Hanson's experiences, from the challenges of managing a remote moorland inn to the dales folk they encountered along the way. The performances are engaging and full of energy, with the actors portraying Neil and Sue's journey from naïve newcomers to seasoned managers with great authenticity, whether it is battling the elements, avoiding the VAT man or joining in with a singsong around the fire.

Ian Kirkbride & Gordon Duffy-McGhie

The production is filled with moments of laughter and warmth, making it a thoroughly enjoyable experience for the audience, even more so if you have ever been to the Tan Hill Inn.  The clever, if somewhat minimal set design, leaves room to imagine while the costumes very effectively present a host of local farmers, hikers, police and the cutest, happiest sheep in the whole dale. All this adds perfectly to the overall charm of the play and by the end leaves the audience wanting to know “so what happened next” (no spoilers, you need to buy Neil’s books to find out).

Janie Caldbeck as 'Flossie'

 "Inn at the Top" by The Castle Players is a must-see for anyone who has read Hanson’s books (or indeed those by James Herriot and Gervase Phinn); well-told and beautifully performed, it is a testament to the resilience and determination of Neil and Sue, and a celebration of the unique and often humorous experiences that come with running a pub in such a remote location.

The show is touring from Friday 24th January until March 8th – tickets and details available at https://shorturl.at/eeTjy 

And then, by special arrangement, there will be 2 performances at The Barn, Tan Hill Inn on Sunday 23rd March.