Theatre / bristol old vic theatre school
Review: The Wind in the Willows
The festive season oozes nostalgia, so what better way to indulge the inner child than with Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s version of Kenneth Grahame’s classic tale?
There is plenty in this show to get misty-eyed about: from the friendships between Mole, Ratty and Badger to the cast of loveable animals, memorably two young hedgehogs. Even the dances and musical theatre turns (notably from Hannah Bristow as the barge lady) have a timeless quality to them.
The story follows the trials and tribulations of charming Toad who, he says, “has nothing to be modest about” and his friends’ quest to save him from his own passing fads. When it all goes wrong, Mole, Ratty and Badger are there to help him through a prison sentence and the fight to save his ancestral pile, Toad Hall.
Even if the dialogue is more 1908 than 2015, the production itself is suitably contemporary. For a start, the set is as dynamic as we’ve come to expect from BOVTS productions: three simple pieces of stage furniture swivel to reveal the riverbank, domestic scenes complete with woodburners, Toad Hall and the dungeon. The weasels are rogues on bikes and there’s plenty of quirky humour, frequently provided by Tom Byrne who gets big laughs in all his various guises.
With his boundless enthusiasm for life, George Howard as Toad is the perfect comic foil: but really, this is an ensemble piece and it’s the versatility of the cast that comes across. No less than eight of them grab instruments for the finale.
For a family show, this Wind in the Willows may be a little long at two and a half hours. Nevertheless, there’s plenty here for everyone to enjoy – and the characters come across strongly, bringing this 100-year-old narrative vividly to life.
The Wind in the Willows continues at the Redgrave Theatre, Clifton until Thursday, December 17. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.oldvic.ac.uk/whats-on/the-wind-in-the-willows.html
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