Friarswood Post Office

Ellen King runs a modest shop attached to the tiny Friarswood post‑office, a bright corner of the village where parcels from distant lands sit behind a wooden slot. The room is tidy, with lace curtains, china ornaments and a stack of well‑worn books, while outside the street hums with the chatter of townsfolk. Among her regular customers is Alfred, a once‑lively boy now confined to a couch, his delicate features mirroring Ellen’s own, and whose lingering pain hints at a tragedy that still haunts the family.

When a ragged stranger, described as a “pig” by the locals, wanders into the shop buying only a loaf, the atmosphere shifts. Whispers spread that the newcomer may be linked to the mysterious illness afflicting Alfred, and Ellen finds herself drawn into a web of secrets that involve the generous Selby family, the post‑office’s far‑reaching correspondence, and a hidden past. As the first act unfolds, listeners are invited to follow Ellen’s quiet determination to uncover what lies beneath the village’s courteous façade.