When I told my friends that I was going to see The Wind in the Willows, a few asked with disdain, “Is it a Christmas production?” They warned me that ‘tis the season for haphazard affairs thrown together for children who don’t know better and their desperate parents. I went to The Lowry with rather low expectations. The weather, a hefty cab fare, and a young couple seated somewhere behind me stage whispering about how tipsy they were from bourbon didn’t help.
Then, the most charming music started and the most adorable rabbits appeared on stage.
The music was all around wonderful. Kate Feldschreiber’s mesmerizing song as the Bargewoman was a highlight, as was the camping scene with Toad’s caravan. The animals built a campfire together, stick by stick. As Rat got out his matches, I actually held my breath and gasped when the faces of the animal friends were set aglow by the orange and smoking fire. It feels silly to write now, but that fire truly did feel like some sort of magic trick! Big props go to set design and wardrobe. The show was such a visual treat from the costumes of the rabbits to Rat’s perfect blue boat and Toad’s red motorcar trimmed in gold.
Initially, Mole’s entrance felt a bit shaky and I felt relieved when Rat arrived confidently along the river. But the bar was set highest for Toad to wow the crowd and Paul Barnhill didn’t disappoint. Toad’s disgruntled companion Albert the horse, played by Jason Furnival, was another audience favorite.
During intermission, I overheard at least three women comment how handsome Christopher Wright’s Rat was, but my vote goes to Robert Calvert’s fashion forward Badger, whose slick black and white streaked hair and walking around day and night in a flashy bathrobe made him the Daphne Guiness of the forest.
I was disappointed that the great battle for Toad Hall felt awkward. I found myself way more engrossed by the fantastic tapestry in the backdrop. However, the battle culminated in a slow motion brawl that had me chuckling again and the too stagey stage fighting was quickly forgiven.
For me, the magic of this production was that its flaws made perfect sense in context of the story. Of course the great battle scene was awkward: it was a mole, a rat, a badger and a toad fighting weasels and stoats. At times, Sophie Gajewicz’s lovable mole was difficult to hear and more than once her lines were drowned out by the audience’s laughter, but that is how moles are, somewhat quiet.
The black and white video used in the background felt out of place, somber and trying too hard to be artistic. Still, the projection evoked old home movies our dearest family and friends force us to sit through. Like the occasional twangs and off keys in the music, the imperfect integration of film heightened the atmosphere that this production is a labor of love for the Library Theatre Company. The wholehearted performance from the entire cast and crew made it feel like the kind of show friends put on for friends, the most discerning of audiences.
After the final applause, there was a lull. I felt like we had just opened the last present under the Christmas tree. The obnoxious young couple in the row behind me had sobered up. As I bundled myself up to go back out into the cold, I nearly missed the girl speak in a rushed, genuine whisper to her boyfriend, “It made you want to be happy, didn’t it?”
Delightful, funny, and warm, the show is sure to be a worthwhile escape from winter’s cold. Directed by Chris Horner, the Library Theatre Company’s production of The Wind in the Willows runs until 14 January, 2012 at The Lowry. For more information, please visit http://www.librarytheatre.com/.
Update: Here’s a great preview! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1DzXXLRiWc