Far From the Madding Crowd " review
New Vic, Newcastle-under-LymeIn Thomas Hardy's novel, sheep farming is a tough, unforgiving existence. The prospects of the hero, Gabriel Oak, are wiped out when an immature sheepdog, "incapable of knowing the difference between doing a thing and doing it too well", drives his flock over a cliff. An outbreak of bloat spells disaster for Oak's beloved, Bathsheba Everdene. The loss of a single ewe at lambing time can …