REVIEW: Liverpool Theatre Festival - The Wind In The Willows

 

The delightful Liverpool Theatre Festival was first staged in September 2020 to boost the city's live performance and creative arts sectors post-pandemic and to address the devastation caused to the industry as a result of Covid-19.

The festival is based once again at the exquisite St Luke's Bombed out church and runs from Wednesday 31st August until 11th September. This year's festival is dedicated to the memory of baby Michael James who would have been celebrating his 21st birthday this September. Liverpool-based children's charity KIND are this year's official charity partner and there are opportunities to donate to this worthy cause at each performance, with donation bucket collections being available.

On Sunday at noon, The Wind in the Willows arrived on stage courtesy of the creators of outdoor immersive theatre Calf2Cow The show was well attended and had an audience of children and adults. There's a certain nostalgia to the tale of The Wind in the willows, which made the performance appealing to older members of the audience as well as captivating the imagination of the innocent younger members of the crowd.

The performance was in two halves, with an interval in between. 'A summer afternoon in Wild Wood, while the animals sat, ate picnics and played with their friends, a mischievous 'poop poop' echoed in the trees.' The stage was set and the main characters introduced themselves via musical folk harmonies and spoken word. Before long, we entered a land of rolling meadows of grass, rabbits in top hats and weasels in waistcoats. Mole, Ratty, Toad and Badger entertained the masses with their lyrical expression and narration of their extraordinary summer voyage.

The cast consisted of:

Alexandra Ricou (Toad)

Matthew Emeny (Badger)

Samuel Freeman (Mole)

Isobel Witcomb (Rat)  

The story told of the beautiful connection between Ratty and Mole, the adventures of leaving familiar places and exploring the wild wood; a place of danger and excitement. Furthermore, we learned of the conceited Toad's mischievous misdemeanours on the road due to his penchant for motors.

The energy created by the cast was infectious and the way in which they captured the imagination of the audience was superb. The script was substantial and had some hidden one-liners which only the adults could appreciate. The costumes and the range of characters made the performance captivating and engaging. The cast cleverly created suspense and intrigue which delighted the crowd. It was humorous and exciting. The props were excellent, the dynamism between each cast member was fantastic and it looked like they were really enjoying themselves which added to the high energy of the performance. I looked around the audience and saw nothing but smiling faces and wonderment on the faces of the younger members of the throng.

The sun shone down on the stage at St Luke's bombed out church and it was a seal of approval for this delightful offering by the calf2cow contingent. The cast transitioned from stage to audience frequently which created an intimacy and built the connection, allowing for a high level of audience participation.

It was funny, clever, detailed, full of surprises and joyful moments. I loved every moment of the performance.

PR Rating 10/10

There are plenty more shows to see at this year's Liverpool Theatre Festival Click here to book your tickets. The festival runs until 11th September.