Recommended – great fun – five stars *****
Burnt Coffee’s production of Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows sees an ensemble of eight performers play over thirty characters in this hugely enjoyable, up to date version of the much-loved classic.
The inventiveness of the physical comedy in this performance was outstanding. Props are used in unexpected ways and the scenes on the riverbank, the wild wood and on the river itself are brought to life with the use of simple but effective techniques. The whole thing has a playfulness and sometimes even silliness that works brilliantly with the text.
This is not a traditional performance of Grahame’s story – new characters are introduced (I particularly enjoyed the performance of the actor who played the slightly sinister Newt, Lady Toad’s butler/factotum) and some tweaks are made to the plot, particularly the ending which I have to say worked magnificently. At first I thought that the script might have wandered too far from the Edwardian pastoral comedy of the original story, captured so well in AA Milne’s stage version, Toad of Toad Hall, but I should not have worried – the spirit of the source material is treated with respect and all the changes work really well.
It’s unfair to call out any particular performances in such a strong ensemble cast, but I am going to anyway. Vanessa McAuley’s Lady Toad was magnificently amphibious and brought the mischievous and obsessive character to life every time she appeared.
There are two more chances to catch this production – Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th August 2024 at Norwich’s Maddermarket theatre. I saw this production at Colchester’s intimate Headgate theatre – it will be interesting to see what the cast do with the larger performance space at the Maddermarket. Parents should note that with a run time of around two hours (with an interval) this might not be suitable for pre-school children, but anyone of reception age and above will be enchanted by this energetic and inventive production.
The Reading Bug 