Venue: KXT on Broadway (Ultimo NSW), Dec 8 – 23, 2023
Playwright: Alan Bennett (from the novel by Kenneth Grahame)
Director: James Raggatt
Cast: Georgia Blizzard, Michael Cecere, Miranda Daughtry, Michael Doris, Elyse Phelan, James Raggatt, Joseph Raggatt, Jack Richardson, Lachlan Stevenson, Harlee Timms, Ross Walker
Images by Brittany Santariga
Theatre review
In Alan Bennett’s adaptation of The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, the reckless and irresponsible Toad steals a car, and finds himself imprisoned. It is unequivocal that there are life lessons he needs to learn, and luckily friends are on hand to guide and support. The whimsical work is written with great charm, involving anthropomorphised characters that give Grahame’s 1908 creation a sense of timelessness, able to dissolve psychological barriers and allow an old English tale to speak to wider audiences.
Direction for this staging is provided by James Raggatt, who brings a commensurately quirky approach to how the story is told. On a bare stage, Raggatt demonstrates considerable inventiveness, in his depictions of these deeply fanciful scenarios. There is admirable detail in performances by an accomplished cast, including Michael Doris who is simply delightful as Toad. Although not always cohesive or sufficiently focused, the show is consistently energetic, with a joyful quality that sustains our attention.
Costumes by Isabella Holder help with the ways in which we imagine these animal characters, but could afford to include more extravagance and eccentricity in building a visual style. Lights by Saint Clair are a dynamic element, intricately transforming imagery from scene to scene, guiding us through this realm of theatrical fantasy. Songs by Jeremy Sams are a valuable addition, but the absence of a more intentional sound design diminishes the impact, of all that is being so passionately rendered.
People and stories can easily be forgotten with the passage of time, but the lessons left behind could very well linger until the very end. A wise man once said, “careful the things you say, children will listen.” There are important things to deduce from The Wind in the Willows, not just from what is being told, but also in how we gather, to listen to one another.
Suzy Goes See 