Shoreline Productions transported audiences from the Victorian Shanklin Theatre, all the way to Edwardian wintry countryside for their latest production of Alan Bennett’s adaptation of the 1908 Kenneth Grahame’s beloved tale ‘The Wind in the Willows’. Nostalgic and whimsical, the play centres around themes of nature, friendship and loyalty, taking the audience along on a fanciful journey (be it by cart, barge or motor car) with Mole, Ratty, Badger and Toad.

The great thing about doing a production such as this is that it’s guaranteed to bring in such a wide-ranging audience. Sat next to a boy of maybe 6 or 7 years old to one side, and a couple in the glow of their retirement years, it was evident that the play appeals to all. After all, the book is a childhood staple! It was also a step away from the usual for this group, and a gamble from creative leads Holly Gardiner, Sam Cattee and Matt Rawlings.

The play itself had vibes of both pantomime and immersive theatre, with the ‘4th wall’ often being broken, and plenty of cheeky asides made throughout. This worked for the Saturday matinee which was full of children, however it would have perhaps been an idea for the play to be staged in school holidays so even more children could attend.

Pete Stockman perfectly encapsulated the eccentricity and cunning of Mr Toad. His high energy on stage was contagious, bringing loveable charm in abundance even as we watched his friends despair of Mr Toad’s ploys throughout the storyline. He really hammed up the performance for the children in the audience, which drew many shrieks of delight when he interacted with them.

Ratty was ably played by Olly Fry, retaining the sensibility and poise throughout and in keeping with the original book. The sub-plot of Rat taking Mole under his wing was handled well, with Olly demonstrating a range of emotions.

Leonie Page endeared Mole to the audience, as we followed on her coming-of-age arc. She had great comedic presence and was joyous to watch interacting with each of the characters in the story, making her a real protagonist.

It is always a pleasure to watch Fiona Gwinnett on stage, as she ably embodies whichever character she is given, and this was no exception. This expert actress knows how to eke out every comedic moment through delivery of lines, facial expression or choreographed move – a feat considering the part of Badger isn’t usually one that brings laughs!

Finley Revert stood out in his supporting role as Albert the horse – drawing many laughs with his surly looks and one-liners. His solo was a highlight of the show, and as Toad exclaimed after, he really is a triple threat on stage.

The weasels were the stereotypical pantomime villains in this play, led by Patrick Tarin as Chief Weasel and Kaitlyn Alice Grace as Weasel Nora. The group was menacing and sneaky, and it was a nice touch to have them roam the theatre before the show began to gee up the children and grownups.

The ensemble each played several different animal roles, with many quick changes which appeared effortless. Costumes, as a whole, were brilliant, helping accentuate the portrayal of each different animal character.

The set itself was fairly basic with a number of back drops and staple pieces used to depict the scene. Several larger props were used for Mr Toad’s obsession with transport (poop poop!). It was a shame that in so many scenes the tabs kept getting caught on scenery, as it was a little distracting. Lighting and sound was spot on – bravo, as it is particularly hard with that many microphones and set changes!

There were several musical numbers added throughout, played by a live band led by Musical Director Luke Mulhern, who were placed on stage in costume. The cast performed these with energy and they helped to glue the story together. Whilst a great idea to have the band visible, it did however mean that some visibility was lost by anyone sat to the right of the stage in the stalls, especially when a lot of the action was upstage and therefore blocked from view.

Overall, the performance stayed true to both Grahame’s and Bennett’s version of the story, and gave the audience a light-hearted, quaint meander to the river bank to meet its various animal inhabitants.

The highlight for me was hearing the children’s laughter throughout – enticing the next generation into theatre is without a doubt one of the most worthy causes of us thespians!

Reviewed by Bryony Bishop