Away From it All is a modern webseries adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd, told in a multimedia format. It premiered on the 20th of October, 2016.
The series was created by Hazel Jeffs and written by a group of young women from across the globe. The story is told through a mixture of vlogs, “private” videos, emails, notes and messages.
The story takes place in Wessex, a fictional English county, where Thomas Hardy set his novel. It is supposedly near Devon and Dorset.
Plot[]
The series follows Bathsheba Everdene, Gabriel Oak, Liddy Smallbury and their friends as they struggle with relationships, building identities, taking control and growing up in a tiny rural village in Wessex.
Characters[]
- Eleanor Bathsheba Everdene is a 21-year-old pub landlady set on making a success of herself. She initially goes by the nickname "Ellie".
- Gabriel Farmer Oak is a 20-year-old failed vet student. He is bisexual and prone to worrying.
- Lydia "Liddy" Smallbury is an 18-year-old vlogger trapped for one last year in her dull home town. She is bisexual.
Transmedia[]
Away From it All has a large transmedia element. The characters all have various forms of social media, such as Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest. The series' audience can also access Bathsheba and Gabriel's smartphones. More of the story unfolds through their emails, texts, Facebook posts and notes.
Cast[]
The cast of Away From it All includes:
Deborah Couch as Bathsheba Everdene
Edward Gist as Gabriel Oak
Anna Lloyd as Liddy Smallbury