By Cameron Woodhead
CHILDREN
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS ★★★★
A lively mix of spectacle, story and song: Head Chief Rabbit (Roscoe Mathers), Toad (Ryan Hawke) and Ratty (Leigh Piper) in The Wind In The Willows.Credit: Matt Deller
Adapted by Glenn Elston from the novel by Kenneth Grahame
Australian Shakespeare Company
Royal Botanic Gardens
Until January 23
Glenn Elston's outdoor adaptation of the Kenneth Grahame children's classic, The Wind in the Willows, has become a summer institution. It's nearly three decades since it first played in the Royal Botanic Gardens, and it's hard to think of a piece of family theatre more exuberant and enduring.
The secret to the longevity of this pantomime version lies in its lively mix of spectacle, story and song. Grahame's Riverbankers come to life through greasepaint and charming costumes, and the audience joins them on their grand adventure as rabbits, under the supervision of Head Chief Rabbit Roscoe Mathers, whose comedic and musical talents have been the show's backbone for as long as anyone cares to remember.
The music is unusually good this time around, with the entire cast playing instruments. Elston blends original numbers with songs based on the book's poetry (Ducks' Ditty, for instance, or When the Toad Came Home) and there are some novel interludes, including a duel between Rabbit and Weasel (Paul Morris) on guitar and electric mandolin.
Ryan Hawke comes close to stealing the show as the self-important and craze-prone (yet still likeable) Mr Toad, in a performance puffed up with outlandish physical comedy. Leigh Piper's Ratty is an authoritative voice of reason (he could easily play Badger), while Chloe Bruer-Jones has grown into the role of Mole, and plays excellent violin.
Chris Southall embraces the ridiculous as Otter, as well as the Policeman and Judge who catch and sentence Toad for going too far with his motor vehicle obsession. Mitchell Earle isn't quite booming and avuncular enough for Badger; he needs to project more.
Director Otis Elston has winningly trimmed a few of the bad puns and pop culture references, which had gotten shaggier over the years, and this much-loved family show is stronger for it.