Wind In The Willows

Wind In The Willows
10th - 14th May 2022
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
Director: Caroline Ranson
Assistant Director / Stage Manager: Lou Petch
Musical Director: Nicholas Sheehan
Choreographer: Glen Conner

Cast

Nic Metcalfe - Toad
Kat Metcalfe - Rat
James Jeffries - Mole
Colin Musgrove - Badger
Fiona Barker - Mrs Otter
Jess Corbett - Portia/ Ensemble
Dan Moore - Chief Weasel
Alaska Tutthill - Lesser Weasel

**Due to unforeseen circumstances the role of Gaolers Daughter was played by Sarah Simpson and the role of Chief Weasel by Richard Simpson and Harry Falkingham

Ellie Appleton - Squirrel/Horse/Otter/Ensemble
Jack Barry -Mr Hedgehog/Car Driver/ Rabbit Butler/Ensemble
Phoebe Bartlett - Hedgehog/Ensemble
Julie Baxter - Squirrel/Ensemble
Laura Border -Squirrel/Ensemble
Sam Cayford - Gaolers Daughter/Squirrel/Ensemble
Emily Eustace - Mouse/Swallow/Ensemble
Christine Glancy - Squirrel/Otter/Ensemble
Claire Greener - Hedgehog/Otter/Ensemble
Cath Harvey - Mrs Rabbit/Otter/Ensemble
Lizi Long - Mrs Hedgehog/Mouse/ Swallow/Ensemble
Adam Thurkettle - Magistrate/Rabbit Butler/Ensemble
Holly Wright - Mouse/ Swallow/Police Man/Ensemble

NODA REVIEW
Julie Petrucci
This version of Wind in the Willows with Book by Julian Fellowes and music and lyrics by Stiles and Drewe, is based on the famous book by Kenneth Grahame. This was an interesting choice for BSEODS and Director Caroline Ranson. It is quite a complex show which stretches all areas of a production for participants both on stage and those handling the technical side of things.

The multi-use setting was good. The homes of Mole and Badger permanently set either side of the fore stage were particularly impressive showing much detail. Scene changes were well managed although the challenge of bringing the Toad Hall gates on and off proved slightly problematic. The costumes by Sheena Moore and Sue Pateman were colourful, intriguing and unique to character making it easy to identify which animal they depicted. I particularly liked the beautiful Swallows’ costumes. The lighting design by Kate ‘Sky’ Skylar was very effective as was Phil Robson’s sound including well controlled body mics.

The music, of which there was a great deal, was pretty complex and much of it contains lyrics which move the story on. As you would expect from an operatic society we heard some lovely voices, particularly from the trio of Swallows and the carol singing Field Mice. Of those in main roles Toad, Rat and Mole were not quite as confident vocally but Badger and Mrs Otter were both very good. The Musicians under the Musical Direction of Nicholas Sheehan were excellent and Glen Conner’s Choreography was quite simple yet interesting and well executed.

Nic Metcalfe was a green-ily believable Mr Toad, obsessed with the need for speed. Toad is a difficult role as it has to be pretty much over-the-top all the time as Mr Metcalfe proved. As ever, Ratty, Mole and Badger are the ones who have to control Mr Toad. There were good characterisations from Kat Metcalfe as Ratty and James Jefferies as Mole who worked well together. Personally, I would have liked to have seen the warmth which grows between them developed more as their friendship progressed. A commanding performance came from Colin Musgrove who was, without question, the obvious choice to play Badger. He certainly owned the stage in his scenes. I very much enjoyed Fiona Barker’s splendid performance as Mrs Otter whilst Jess Corbett made a very bouncy Portia, the baby Otter making much of her on and off role. Well done also to Lesser Weasel Alaska Tutthill who was very good and really looked the part in her Goth-like costume.

Without an Ensemble as such many of the cast played multiple roles. I thought that each animal family worked well. I particularly liked the Hedgehogs and their The Hedgehog’s Nightmare song. The wicked team of Wild Wooders made an excellent contrast to the Beatrix Potter style animals. The Wild Wooders certainly had great songs. Due to illness there had been cast changes and we were warned some use of scripts may be necessary. At the Friday performance the part of Chief Weasel was split between Richard Simpson (who did the singing) and Harry Falkingham who fronted the dance numbers. The part of Gaoler's Daughter was played by Sarah Simpson. Well done to the stand-ins who coped well without a script in sight.

This musical version of Wind in the Willows added an extra dimension to the main parts of Toad’s famous story and Director Caroline Ranson’s production was well-paced and melodic. Congratulations to all involved.