The Wind In The Willows Musical

As a child, a story before bed was always a treat, one of my favourites was The Wind in The Willows, it’s fast paced storyline and characters always got me excited. When I heard it was making its way to the stage as a musical, I trawled the internet for some more info, after finding confirmation in an article in The Guardian, I got that same kind of excitement again. Written by Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, is a classic children’s novel, published in 1908. However, Downton Abbey creator and writer Julian Fellowes, has taken on the job of turning this beloved book into a musical fantasy. Opening next year, this highly anticipated creation has Olivier-winning lyricists, George Stiles and Anthony Drew, who also worked together on Mary Poppins The Musical.

The story of The Wind in the Willows, follows the adventures of Mr Toad, a mischievous amphibian who has been imprisoned for theft, and his friends Mole, Ratty and Mr Badger, in their attempt to tame Mr Toad. The producer of the show, Jamie Hendry, told the press he would send copies Kenneth Grahame’s novel to every school and library in town, prior to its opening in Plymouth. The Wind in the Willows raised over £1 million via public crowdfunding, making it one of the highest amounts of money every raised by the public for theatrical production.

This is not the first time, this renowned novel has taken forms other than on paper. The Wind in the Willows, has seen the stage more than once before, such as the Royal Opera House production which ended in January 2015, and has also appeared in film and television, including a stop motion TV series that spanned from 1984-1990. It also featured on BBC radio multiple times.

The show will open at Plymouth’s Theatre Royal on the 8th October 2016, it will then move to The Lowry in Salford on the 26th of October, before heading off to London’s West End. Directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, who has directed multiple shows at the Open Air theatre at Regent’s Park, and with design by Peter McKintosh and lighting design by Howard Harrison, I can’t wait to see this literary masterpiece brought to life once again.

Are there any books you’d like to see make their way on stage? Maybe a children’s classic or one you’ve read recently? Comment below and let me know!