wind in the willows
Wind in the Willows Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, January 6-31, 2009; www.shakespeareaustralia.com.au; book on 1300 122 344
Pantomime – the traditional English Christmas holiday entertainment “for all the family” – has mysteriously never really caught on in Australia despite this being the birthplace of possibly the greatest panto Dame of all time (Edna, of course) and despite the shared humour heritage of the bawdy and the ironic, and a fondness for a groan-worthy double entendre. The essence of panto is that all these ingredients are essentially unchanging and should be delivered, over and over, year after year, as familiarity and anticipation are the other required components. So this production – by Glenn Elston, the outdoor theatre tsar – is as close as we come to a trad panto without Widow Twankey or a cross-dressing prince(ss). And pretty damn close it comes too.
The classic children’s book Wind in the Willows is enchanting anyway and, when well adapted and imaginatively set in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens – with one of the lakes filling in for the Thames and the Opera House and harbour as backdrop – the live show version becomes innocent, energetic magic.
Whether you and your kids are familiar with the story doesn’t matter: all the major elements are there including messing about in boats, the frightful schemozzle at Toad Hall with the weasel criminal class; Toad’s preoccupation with gadgetry and new toys and the spiffy adventures of the friends on the highways and byways of olde England.
The panto elements of slapstick humour, colourful and exaggerated costumes and make up (Lyndsey Regan-Evans), simple but effective design (Amanda Watts), silly songs and a script that is by turns witty and (knowingly) painful are all there, and these let the young and not so young audience in on the fun by clearly signalling their intentions: eat your picnic, sip your champers, make yourself comfortable on your rugs and be prepared to have good time.
Gentle pleasures and simple enjoymnt are the key: there’s a lively call and response song led by Head Chief Rabbit (James Evans) with the audience of designated rabbits; there’s a splendidly hissable villain in Weasel (Warwick Allsopp) and a hoppily avuncular Toad (Tamlyn Henderson). Ratty (Joe Sullivan) is as ratty, whiskery and pertly bright-eyed as any rat ought to be, while audience sympathy flows automatically to myopic, good-hearted and timid Mole (Augusta Miller). Otter (Anthony Harkin) is a splendid chap as is his chirpy offspring Portly (alternating Riley Cogin, Archie Cogin, Finn Sullivan or Bella Mullany-Knight). And you’d have to be a hard-hearted hannah not to be swept away by the charisma of a wildly attractive Badger, whose way with the ladies and a filched champagne flute is reminiscent of George Clooney, or even Cary Grant.
On the opening evening the weather wasn’t altogether kind, but the occasional patter of drizzle actually added an extra frisson of adventure for the excited anklebiters in the crowd (“Mum, mum, we’re out in the rain!”). Director Marian Bragge and the terrific cast cope with deceptive ease in often trying conditions (unpredictable weather, no lighting other than what’s supplied by Nature, unexpected commentary from passing fruit bats and cockies, no sound equipment in the wide open space and an audience loosed from the normal constraints of seating and darkness). It’s all about traditional and classic actorly skills and experience – a joy to savour.
So: treat your family (all ages) to one of Sydney’s now well-established and best summer treats. Check the weather forecast and umbrella yourselves if necessary; take a picnic and a rug and whatever you fancy to drink (no glass, people) and settle on the grass to let the world of Wind in the Willows scamper around you. No billionaire could be happier or have a better time – not least, heh heh, because the value of this production has not been halved by the global meltdown. Poop! Poop!
Disclosure: despite wicked rumour, the author is not close friends with Badger, does not even know Badger in the biblical sense or otherwise, and has never discussed Uganda with Badger. Ever. Unfortunately.
