Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens are the perfect setting over summer for audiences of all ages to enter the magical world down on the riverbank in The Australian Shakespeare Company’s The Wind In The Willows.
Seated on a soft, grassy incline, we looked down upon a picture-perfect spot of water and garden, out of which emanated the characters of this children’s favourite. This is a show of fun, silly humour and old-style theatrics. The much-loved English literary characters Ratty, Mole, Toad, Badger, and Otter perform for new audiences.
What a rollicking good time was had. Water pistols flared, bread rolls were thrown, singalongs were sung, and we split off into the camps to hunt down characters amidst the hydrangeas in full bloom… and this wasn’t just the kids! The show involves the whole family. There’s call & reply, live music performance, improvisation, puppetry, mock-castle battles, on golf buggies, river boats and park benches.
The cast energetically enliven Kenneth Grahame’s famous 1908 Edwardian novel of river-based wildlife and their personal quirks. The narrative arc takes you to Toad Hall where you see its loss and restoration, find out what ‘toad tortellini’ is, and hear Grahame’s cry that beyond the wild wood lies the wild world. ‘Adventure!’ is the call to action for this little group of small animals.
The band of actors perform directly in front of us and remind us of the power of live theatre to capture the imagination. With no dull moments, it resembles a Gilbert & Sullivan production with its eccentric characterisation. The costumes are playful and bold — I never knew toad-olive green could appear so comely.
Don’t be shy — be prepared to imitate a rabbit. Throw aside your phones and iPads and listen like children again. With pop-culture references to Justin Beiber, Pokemon GO, and Collingwood FC, the script caters to adults as well as juniors, and the pace does not slow. 90 minutes moves quickly and the evening show finishes well before dark.
The Australian Shakespeare Company is an organised troupe of 30 years’ experience. Fear not for locating the play amongst the Botanic Gardens — your path is guided by many signs and able rabbit assistants. Bring a rug, jackets, food hampers. And don’t forget snacks for the animal cast, who nimbly jump the stage border to forage.
Catch the cute stuffed-animal versions of the characters on sale at the Box Office for those moments in your 21st century life when you dream of a time when there was ‘nothing so good as simply mucking about in boats’.
– Sarah
Sarah W. is a dance-trained theatre lover with a flair for the bold, and non-traditional performance platforms. On the street or in the box seat, she is always looking for quality works that push the envelope.
‘Wind In The Willows’ runs 23 December-28 January 2017 outdoors at The Royal Botanic Gardens, F Gate, 10am Tues-Sun, 6pm Thur- Sat (90 mins, no interval). Book tickets now.
Venue is wheelchair accessible on request.
