Synopsis

When Mole pops up into the open air, a wonderful new world full of exhilarating adventures and new friends is revealed; boating with the gentle Ratty, feasting with the noble Badger and a series of mad-cap escapades with the reckless Toad. The audacious Mr Toad leads the friends from one adventure to another, upturned caravans, stolen motorcars, train chases ... But after Toad's daring prison escape can they all join together and beat the sinister inhabitants lurking within the Wild Wood, save Toad Hall and restore order on the River Bank?

Mr Toad began life as a character in the bedtime stories that Kenneth Grahame told his son, Alastair. A few years later, Toad's adventures were filled out and more characters were added (Mole, Rat, Badger etc) in a series of letters from Kenneth to Alastair.In this manner was 'The Wind In The Willows' was created, and has, since its publication in 1908, been one of the most popular of all children's books.

It has been adapted for the stage and screen countless times, so the question was, how could Adam and David adapt the story and be faithful to the book while at the same time taking a new look at such a well-known and well-loved set of characters and their adventures. How to transfer a classic novel about four riverside friends into a theatrical story with a large cast, and make it a musical?

Gradually, and after much discussion, they found themselves drawn increasingly to the less well-known characters in the book, especially the weasels, ferrets and stoats - those unreliable types that live and lurk in the Wild Wood. It is they who, once Mr Toad's troubles come to a head, relish his misfortune and move to occupy Toad Hall. Readers of the book are left to imagine what it is that leads the weasels to act the way they do. Adam and David began to ponder their behaviour, and so the idea began to grow that perhaps the Wild Wooders had rather more to do with Toad and his adventures than Kenneth Grahame had originally let on. With that in mind their new version began to take shape and a lot of what happens throughout the musical adventures in this adaptation fell into place.

Although the writers have introduced a slightly darker side than the book shows us, this version remains faithful to all that is great about the original Kenneth Grahame story : the friendships between Mole and Rat, and between Badger and Toad; the Englishness of it all, and perhaps most importantly of all the humour. This version has purposely leaned towards all the characters being played as animals. The darker human characters such as the crooked magistrate, the policeman, the jailer and his daughter are played by Wild Wooders (indeed, they should be seen as part of the plot against Toad) while the gentler and more sympathetic humans, the train driver and the barge woman and her many children are River Bankers. This is not essential but does lead to fewer awkward moments and fits in with the misfortunes of Toad being the work of the Wild Wooders from the start.

The first production of this new adaptation at the Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre in Guildford created a riverside world where the story takes place, one that evoked an atmosphere of Edwardian Cambridge along its riverbank - weeping willow trees, punts, blazers, 'decent' chaps and 'rotters'. The script allows a production to bring the story to life by letting the actors capture the essence of each animal's character through the performer's physicality and the specific use of costume and simple animal face make-up.

We have deliberately put this title in the adult part of our catalogue as, whilst it can and has been performed by a young cast very sucessfully , it is possible to draw out of the script and the music aspects often overlooked or not understood by younger performers, which when presented by adults to a younger audience, can substantially enhance a production. Due to the preferred size of cast a company of adult principals, youth support and a childrens' chorus would work very well. This adaptation of 'The Wind In The Willows' features a full complement of songs, the music and lyrics for which have been especially composed. Clips of the songs can be heard in 'Audio Clips' above.

Characters

Songs