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Video: the Changeling Theatre Company performs to the
cows

By Luke Hollands

If Old Macbeth had a farm perhaps it would look like this.

Dairy cows at Pleasant Farm, Chart Sutton, have upped their milk
production after listening to live Shakespeare.

The Changeling Theatre Company has proved all the world really
is a stage after choosing to practise the Merry Wives of Windsor at
the farm in the build-up to a summer of touring outdoor venues in
Kent.

Though this may sound like madness there is method in it.

Not only does practising outdoors help actors practice
delivering lines to an alfresco audience, it seems to calm the cows
and has led to them making around three to four per cent more
milk.

Changeling's artistic director Rob Forknall, said it wasn't such
a strange decision to practise in a cow field.

"In these times of recession you have to do your best to find
somewhere to rehearse.

"Our show is an outdoor show in the fields of Kent and so
rehearsing outside at a farm makes sense.

"I've been associated with cows all my life. I come from a
farming area so I'm used to animals.

"I've done some milking in my time. I
used to play music, and when I played Daydream Believer the milk
production went up and the same thing seems to happen with
Shakespeare."

Brian Torfeh is an actor with Changeling, and believes cows make
a great audience.

He said: "They listen in a way human audiences just don't
bother.

"They really listen because they have time on their hands. They
really listen to the truth of the matter.

"They probably get more out of Hamlet than most human audiences.
I'd happily go on stage with a cow anytime."

Rumours future productions could include A Midsummer Night's
Cream, Anthony and Cow-patra, and Richard the Herd could not be
confirmed.

But a production of Ham-let to pigs has been ruled out.

Mr Torfeh said: "We understand they take particular exception to
that play."

The soothing influence of Shakespeare has been confirmed by farm
hand Liam Batt who looks after the cows.

He said: "Anything that calms the animals and reduces their
stress is good and Shakespeare ticks the right boxes.

"Perhaps there's something about the language of Shakespeare. We
really don't know, but it definitely seems to work."

Previous research by the University of Leicester has shown
playing music to cows has a similar effect.

Researchers discovered the most popular songs with the animals
included Moo-n River, by Danny Williams and Perfect Hay, by Lou
Reed.