The Corn is Green is by Welsh playwright Emlyn Williams and was written in 1938. The play tells the story of English school teacher Lily Moffat, played by Nicola Walker, who arrives in North Wales to educate young miners. However her ways of teaching meet angry resistance in the local community, But things begin to look up when she discovers a promising young student, Morgan Evans, who she hopes to find a place for at Oxford University.
Saffron Coomber stars as Bessie Watty who is the vain, selfish daughter of Miss Moffat's housekeeper, determined to cause trouble, particularly for star student Morgan.
This 2022 production of the play was the first for 35 years and was directed by Dominic Cooke. Ran at the National Theatre's Lyttleton Theatre in Spring 2022 and received 5* reviews from critics.
WhatsOnStage - "a triumph, an evening full of humour, feeling and inspiration"
The Guardian - "an inspirational heart-warmer. Hugely entertaining".
The Guardian described Saffron's portrayal of Bessie Watty as "broodingly sublime", iNews called her performance "beguiling" and WhatsOnStage proclaimed that she "finds just the right balance of sadness and calculation".