The Wind in the Willows

Based on the well-known story by Kenneth Grahame, Mike Kenny's adaptation of The Wind in the Willows follows the adventures of Mole, Rat, Toad and Badger and their adventures.

Mole, tired of cleaning, decides to leave his house and venture off to pastures new (in this case, the riverbank) where he meets Ratty, and is then introduced to the simple pleasures of a life of boating until they pay a visit to and get involved with the wild and wacky adventures of the equally wild and wacky Mr Toad. Toad's love of automobiles is bound to get him into trouble, and sure enough, it does. I'm sure anyone reading this already knows the story, so I will refrain from telling more - and if you haven't read it, I'd hate to spoil the plot for you!

Kerry Bryant gave us a charming performance as the somewhat timid and slightly vulnerable Mole. The interaction between Kerry and Julie Guiver Wells's Ratty were well balanced, easing us all into their world where both fun and danger are just around the corner.

In the role of Mr Toad, Roisin McCann shone- a real tour de force. Her boundless energy and perfect diction carried us with her throughout Toad's story! What made Roisin's performance even more outstanding was the fact that Roisin stood in at the last minute to take on the demanding role (as well as directing it).  

Ross Fenders`s performance as Badger gave the role an air of sophistication, with the gravitas the role deserves. 

Johnny Haddow played Chief Weasel with relish.  This role can sometimes be lost amongst the 'larger' characters, but Johnny made sure he was at least on a par with them, and was never upstaged. 

With so many other roles in the play, everyone who performed, no matter what the role, performed admirably.

One of the things that makes this play different from others is that in parts, the story is being told directly to the audience - this is probably why the younger element of the audience seemed a lot more engaged with the story.

Staging was quite simple and effective, with some really nice, well thought ideas. I particularly liked the use of the shopping trollies as sailing craft. Lighting, costumes and scenery were all complimentary to the piece and made for an enjoyable afternoon. 

It must have been quite daunting for the group, not only to have the Director thrown into the breach last minute, but also to have the production presented at a different venue to the usual- this always brings on more challenges than originally expected, and must have been quite the decision for the company, who coped really well under the circumstances.

Director Roisin McCann should be really pleased with what she and the company achieved with this production.

Thank you Garstang, for your invitation and hospitality

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.