The Wind in the Willows

"The show must go on” is a phrase we often hear said in the theatrical circles that we live in. It certainly did and this was so very true of this delightful telling of the tale of the indigineous Mr. Toad. The usual venue was closed down after lockdown and despite the hope that the hall would be available in time for this particular production, this did not happen. So what did the company do? They turned their own headquarters (rehearsal room and scenery storage etc.) into a bijou theatre seating forty people in front of a very small stage.

The majority of the story was told and enacted by Mole (Kim Logan) and Rat (Leo Baker). Toad (Simon Ancell) is of course a law unto himself but nothing could deter the two animals with the part-time help of Badger (John Croot) - well, they hibernate for the winter period, to keep smiling and do their very best to keep him on an even keel. Toad did a very good job of messing up their plans. To fill in the gaps between scenes we had narration from Marlene Tincknell and other members of the cast. These other six cast members doubled and trebled up as wildwooders, rabbits, horse, otter, washerwoman, guard and bargee. The clerk of the court (Sara Ayling-Webster) also played a convincing Chief Weasel  at the opening and closing of the show. What also impressed me were the brightly coloured props (boat, car, barge and caravan with moving wheels). The set design for this stage was also bright and cheerful. The tiny area at the sides where the flats were located, was very cleverly used for the entry of the aforesaid properties. Lighting and sound effects were kept simple and efficiently executed.     

This was the smallest theatre I have been to but congratulations to all involved with the adaptations of the production because it was big in enjoyment and great in entertainment.

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