Being courageous and stepping into the
world of the unknown is at the heart
of Kenneth Grahame’s classic novel,
The Wind In The Willows. Both the
characters within the play and the young
performers themselves embody the sense
of adventure and fellowship needed when
embarking on a challenging journey to
achieve a common goal.
Gentle-mannered Mole is dissatisfied
with his lot in life. Deep below the ground
and fed up with his tiresome routine
and isolation, he makes a courageous
journey above ground as his heart longs
for new adventures. On his arrival to
the Riverbank, Mole is in awe of the
beautiful scenery and the busy lives of
the locals, especially the audacious and
dare-devil Miss Toad. Gradually, with
the help of Rat, Badger and Miss Toad,
Mole is welcomed by the River bank
animals as he learns what it takes to be
a good friend.
Last June, Lower School pupils
successfully journeyed across the
Riverbank in their adaptation of The
Wind In The Willows . The cast and
production team of over 50 students
were led admirably by Gemma Hudson
who created an enchanting world as
they travelled from Riverbank to the
Wide World. A superbly talented trio
of musicians Adam Barnes (piano) and
Louis Toulmin (violin) were musically
directed by Zac Stewart (cello) as they
created a magical underscore which
enriched the whole atmosphere of the
performance.
The innovative costumes by Cheryl
White and Xylia Milsom contributed
to the visual spectacle while Hannah
East and Ellie-Mae Rooke assisted with
direction and were highly valued with
their creative contributions and gracious
mentoring.Birds, cars, houses, trains and
photographs were created with props
by a dedicated and masterful ensemble
(Jennifer Harrison, Kiera-Leigh Wright,
Albert Johnson and Phoebe Anderson) in
a skilled and disciplined story-telling style.
by Tom McDowell was the perfect
guide to Mole both on stage and off.
The highly erratic and tearaway Miss
Toad was beautifully portrayed by
Esme Regan whilst the benevolent and
wise Badger was played confidently
and skilfully by Charlie Hutchinson.
During their journey they met all sorts
of animals including the resentful and
dejected Alberta The Horse (Lucy
Coles) whose accent and comic timing
were impeccable and offered humour in
various moments of the action, usually as
a poor victim of Toad’s self-centredness.
On arriving to the Riverbank, a family
of outraged Rabbits led confidently by
Alex Preece begrudgingly introduced
their community to the naive and curious
Mole. A band of merry Brownies sang
beautifully (led by Hattie Hawkes and
Ciara Quinn) and warmly welcomed
Mole, informing him excitedly of their
journey ahead to achieve their flying
badge.
Humour was added through the sulky
and stroppy performance of Penny
Gibson who portrayed a scouts outrage
when he was mistaken for a girl. With
the inclusion of bubbles and music from
the ensemble, a grand entrance was
had for the notoriously mischievous
and self assured Otter (Logan Carter)
who proceeded with his sulky son Portly
(Zander Adlington) to add humour and
cheekiness to the journey. However,
amidst the laughter lurked the menacing
and sinister Wild Wooders who were
superbly led by Henry Hudson,
their presence and movement gave a
wonderfully chilling atmosphere as they
continually heckled and tormented the
River bank community.
Cunliff Lister and Ben Marson who
demonstrated their exceptional skill
when multi-roling throughout the piece.
The Riverbankers, having pleaded their
cases in a tense and engaging scene led
by the talented Hattie Cobb, the Owls
finally agreed to grant the petition. But
having taken no notice of the petition and
stolen a motorcar, Toad is imprisoned
against her will.
Whilst in prison, Toad was given help
from the kind-hearted Gaoler’s daughter
(Islay Cunliff Lister) who delighted
us with her a great use of multi-role.
Humour came to the forefront as
the brash and rude (and toothless!)
Washerwoman (played by the talented
Isobel Stephenson) gave a vocally and
physically strong performance, whereby
she begrudgingly agreed to assist Toad
to escape.
A high energy chase ensued with much
comedy and chaos as Toad travelled
by train and foot. Scenes changed
effortlessly with the smooth transitions
of the swift and efficient ensemble and
the pop-up story book staging by Steven
Ryan allowed action to run seamlessly.
Hotly pursued by the comedic hounds
Freddie Woodruff and Samuel Smart,
the common-sense impaired twosome
proved with much laughter and talent
that they were more ‘defective’ than
‘detective.’ Meanwhile, Mole (Charlie
Roberts) entertained audiences with his
hilarious and unforgettable entrance
dressed as a provocative woman as he
strutted and pouted in order to create
a diversion from the unsuspecting Wild
Wooders.
After a dramatic fight sequence and
having restored peace to Toad Hall, the
ensemble delighted the audience with a
toe-tapping finale dance (choreographed
by Ellie Mae Rooke) and ended the
evening on a triumphant note. Well
done to everyone involved for producing
a great evening’s entertainment and
especially to cast and crew who like Miss
Toad, learnt the true value of building
life-long friendships on their journey.
Willows
Charlie Roberts played the wide-eyed
Mole with great skill and his charming
and experienced mentor Rat played
As the high spirited and carefree Miss
Toad enjoyed her many vehicular
obsessions and pursuits, the incensed
Ducks led by Ella Smith and Tilly
Young gave a highly committed and
convincing performance as they enlisted
and intimidated the help from their
fellow Riverbankers. In order to create
a petition against careless Miss Toad’s
dangerous antics, the Riverbankers seek
wisdom from the Owls played by the
commanding Niamh Clements, Islay
GH / EJC
THE POCKLINGTONIAN
91