The Wind in the Willows

SHOW INFO

• Show length 1 hour (no interval)

• Foyer Box Office open 1 hour before performance

• Recommended for all ages

• Babes in arms up to 18 months permitted provided no seat occupied

• Registered Carers/Companion Cards: $0 (contact Host)

ABOUT THE SHOW

Based on the book The Wind in The Willows by Kenneth Grahame first published in 1908, The Wind in the Willows tells the story of Riverbankers Mole, Ratty, Otter and Badger as they try to help Toad after he becomes obsessed with new fangled things and gets himself into trouble, while the Wild Wooders make trouble at Toad Hall.

SYNOPSIS

With the arrival of spring, kind-natured Mole loses patience with spring cleaning and leaves her home underground to arrive at the bank of a river, which she has never seen before. Rat arrives in a rowboat and invites Mole to share a picnic, before telling her about the wonderful life on the river. Rat's friend Otter arrives and warns Mole to watch out for "Wild Wooders", especially the Weasels. The trio are interrupted and take cover, thinking it is a Wild Wooder, only to discover it is their friend, the highly respectable Mr Badger. Toad then zooms in along the river on a home-made sailboard, before heading back to his ancestral home, Toad Hall.

An urgent message arrives, leading the friends to rush off and find out what new craze has captured Toad's imagination. It is only a matter of time before Toad is led astray by another obsession, this time landing him in gaol. With Toad gone from Toad Hall, the Wild Wooders take the opportunity to move in. Toad must use all his charm and cunning to escape several more predicaments before returning to Toad Hall, and - with the help of his friends and the audience - try to win back his beloved Toad Hall from the Wild Wooders.

ABOUT LES WINSPEAR

Les Winspear has established a broad based career as a playwright, actor and director. His plays include outdoor theatre, early childhood, primary age, community and historically based pieces. He was an actor and founding member of Riverina Theatre Co, worked with Salamanca Theatre Co, and helped found Zootango Theatre Co in Hobart. While with Zootango, he was instrumental in the development and presentation of family shows in the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. Subsequently, he helped found Theatre Alfresco, a cooperative which provides quality theatre in the Gardens over summer. He has created plays for Big Monkey Inc, Theatre Alfresco, Salamanca Theatre Company, Terrapin Theatre, Port Arthur Historic Site, the Australian Wooden Boat Festival, the National Maritime Museum and the Flinders Island Festival.

ABOUT STAGEFLIGHT

StageFlight was established by Artistic Director Lis Shelley in 2012 as a creative vehicle for theatre and film projects. StageFlight Drama School has delivered many after school and holiday workshops in drama and film for hundreds of youth in the Bega Valley and the wider region, to enable young people to express themselves creatively. With a gradual demise of arts subjects in the education sector over time, StageFlight fills the gap for young people craving an artistic outlet. Some students have gone on to careers in the performing arts, while others use the life skills they have learned, such as voice projection, self-confidence, movement, breathing, relaxation and team work, in other pursuits.