Wind in the Willows by Alan Bennett
23 - 26 November 2008
Caldbeck Players saw four full houses for their brilliant colourful production of Wind in the Willows, with a cast of 45 and a further host of backstage bods.
There can be few people more physically able to play the bi-gendered Toad of Toad Hall than Bob Whitson. Having a neck as thick as ones head, the whole environmentally greened, and the matrimonial training to change from boisterous and cocky to a simpering poor toad, he did the part great justice. And justice was dispensed to him by the Magistrate and his clerk (well played by Samantha Bell) for motoring misdemeanours for which he was imprisoned (poor Toad). A clothing gender swap with a luscious washerwoman (Jonty Crosland), who was enticed by Toad’s deep-drawered wealth to switch clothes, enabled Toad’s escape from goal, and then naturally pardoned by his promise of breakfasting the presiding Magistrate (Dicky Bird in splendid avuncular form) on kedgeree, who happily accepted that offer without fear or favour. Toad’s release was organised by the comely gaoler’s daughter (Claire Little who backstage supervised the children with Sue Robson, and others – quiet as real mice they were). Further favours she later bestowed on Mole and Rat allowing them a kiss, and Mole got a cuddle. Indeed!
Toad’s persecutors were the wild woodsmen, stoats, weasels and ferrets, forthrightly lead by Sarah Atkinson as Chief Weasel whose words were as crystal clear, as her colleagues intentions – to dispose of Toad. Their “Where’s Toad” cries brought a spawn curdling fear for escapee and audience alike.
Toads friends were Mole (the cuddled Victor facially Brunetted for the part) Rat (Jennifer Collard) a fastidiously correct thin control on proceedings, provider of sense and first aid and Mole fancier, and Badger (Frank Cosgrove who might have come on stage after being flattened by driver Toad on a zebra crossing). After Toad’s escape Badger, unarmed, bravely lead the way to the butlers pantry in Toad Hall, via an underground passage he knew, to usurp the squatting wild woodsmen to reinstate the Toad in his beloved 14th century residence.
The riverbank saw picnics and a boat trip for Rat and Mole, mice who carefully sang poignant carols, and rabbits who demanded money to enter their fields. Moley and Ratty (on familiar terms soon after the start) travelled in a splendid caravan drawn by Alice a horse (Claire Hurst in good dead pan brummie form). The hedgehogs dined on porridge with Moley, and the squirrels did their nut things.
Fox (Rebecca Pigg) was clearly full up with red riding hood and Portly (Joseph Stockdale) swam supplely with the bigger black Otter (Ken Woolfenden) in the rural idyll of the land of the wind in the willows
And who gave it the wind?
A huge amount of effort goes into a production like this and the end result did real justice to that effort. The great costumes (Fiona Cox and team), the wonderful makeup (Barbara Mitchell and team), and the lighting (Michael Stockdale and Tony Richardson) and sound effects (Ian Shaw) were there for all to see and hear – well most of the time; the backstage wondergirls like Pat Shaw and others were not, but those you don’t hear or see are as important as those front of curtain.. The greatest commitment and the greatest praise must go to Ken and Pauline Woolfenden who took it on, and then directed produced organised and just did it all so really well.
A great village and community effort. |
