You may have read some sniffy reviews for The Wind in the Willows, the lavish new family musical currently playing at the London Palladium.Over the years I’ve adapted, directed and even appeared in various other stage versions of the story, which I loved when I was a kid, so I feel very protective of it and wouldn’t recommend it to you if it was anything other than top-notch.
I did wonder whether it might be too slight a story for one of the West Ends biggest theatres, it is after all a small and gentle tale about small and gentle animals, but this team have done a wonderful job of ensuring it looks and sounds as gorgeous as any other show in London whilst also retaining the Edwardian charm of the original book.
If you’ve never encountered the piece before, and it’s been televised often and staged as everything from a ballet to a National Theatre play by Alan Bennet, in the classic tradition of kids literature it imagines animals have human thoughts, clothing and the ability to speak to each other.
A mole, tired of spring cleaning, ventures out and befriends a water rat, who in turn introduces him to a naughty toad. The author Kenneth Grahame lovingly based the amphibian on his own son in an attempt to persuade him to be better behaved. Toad is addicted to trying all the latest fads before quickly abandoning them when something new comes along. He takes Mole and Ratty on a caravan holiday but when they see their first motorcar Toad becomes infatuated by its speed. He steals one and is sent to gaol, escaping disguised as a prison washer woman via a canal boat and then a steam train. Meanwhile Toad’s home, Toad Hall, is invaded by evil stoats and weasels. Ratty and Mole team up with a wise old badger to ensure he gets it back and becomes a more sensible creature.
All the modes of transport are recreated, full size on the Palladium stage by top designer, Peter McIntosh.
Comedian Rufus Hound triumphantly captures all of Toad’s energy and fun, Craig Mather successfully blends Mole with a Harry Potter type geekiness, Neil McDermott makes the Chief Weasel really relish his villainy and Gary Willmott plays Badger with a great deal of Nobility and wisdom. The writers have bumped up the character of Mrs Otter to make it a leading role for Denise Welch, ensuring that there’s some female presence on stage, there isn’t much in the book. Best of all is Simon Lipkin who gives Ratty such a dry sense of humour that he gets most of the laughs.
The rest of the acting company contribute gorgeous little cameos as various other animals in between scenes, including a trio of swallows, a family of hedgehogs and carol singing field mice, lead by Michael Larcombe as their head chorister, in an assured West End debut.
The book is by Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton Abbey, and the lively, witty and catchy songs are by the composer George Stiles and the lyricist Anthony Drew who recently wrote additional songs for Mary Poppins and Half a Sixpence.
Do take the kids. It’s a treat!
A short walk from Finsbury Park tube station, the Park Theatre has two different performance spaces; one 200 seat theatre (PARK200) and one 90 seat theatre (PARK90). The venue has a varied programme from classics through to new writing and it is the latter that currently occupies the smaller PARK90 space.