Charles Hutchinson, Arts for the York Press, reviews The Wind In The Willows ,
2:14pm Friday 9th July 2010

Not to be confused with the imminent big summer production on York Theatre Royal’s specially reconfigured stage, this is one of those back-of-the-van touring shows that keeps the arts alive in the outer reaches.

If it is Thursday it must be Terrington Village Hall, where Ryedale company Ratatat has already played to 120 children in the afternoon. No time to rest on a hot, sticky day, inside hot, sticky costumes – a wool gilet for Ratty, a thick waistcoat and later a scarf for Toad – means the indefatigable Dominic Goodwin and his fellow actors are exuberantly greeting the early-evening audience like old friends (which indeed many are), selling raffle tickets and establishing their characters before show time.

The fourth wall broken down, Goodwin’s ever-hearty party animal Toad, Stephanie Preacher’s keyboard-playing Mole, George Neville’s river-captain Ratty and Sarah Kurth’s delightfully flat-vowel West Yorkshire Deazley the Weasel set about telling director Martin Riley’s brisk stage adaptation with gusto. What, no Badger, you say? Wrong, Kurth dons a duffle-coat with white stripes on the hood to portray the stern fellow, while Riley’s powers of description enable her to create the sense of plenty of stoats and weasels in the Wild Woods.

Daniel Bowater’s jolly boating songs, nutty audience participation and the canny use of the simple set, costumes and mime, rather than props, all add to the fun of this lively, lovely staging of Kenneth Grahame’s timeless story.

Review by Ray Brown, for The British Theatre Guide

In theatre there are many ways to feel blessed behind, upon and afore the stage. Ratatat's touring production of Martin Riley's new adaptation of The Wind in the Willows privileges its audience with the timeless joy of small scale touring theatre: four dedicated thesps acting their socks off and giving every indication that they are enjoying every minute of it. 'Twas ever thus. 'Takes a lot of beating' as the Ancient Greeks doubtless opined of their latest show... and the long suffering tour donkey.

Whoops! Sorry, it's the effect of Martin Riley's pretty script and glorious direction.

The cast drip with energy, comedic presence and immaculate timing.

Dominic Goodwin uses his tremendous vocal range to give us a near perfect exuberant, manipulative, self-pitying, vainglorious Toad. George Neville's Ratty highlights the rodent's long suffering generosity of spirit. Stephanie Preacher makes a charming Mole, giving the part a depth of character and a little less bumble and fumble than is usually the case.

Neville and Preacher do a certain amount of doubling (and no-one will fail to be tickled by his Jailor and her Bargee... and their court scene... and.... ). Finally, Sarah Kurth is the ubiquitous Deazley the Weasel and a tumble of other characters. Her roles include two horses (Sibelius and Delius) to which she brings not only delightful humour but also a magical equine verisimilitude based, I would guess, on close study of a moving horse's front if not back end (well, nobody's perfect).

There's no vulgarity or references to TV shows, but plenty of slapstick and slo-mo, rubber ducks and lovely music (composed by Daniel Bowater). And there's a handful of songs, one of which, my partner assures me, was being sung after the show with gusto and giggles by four little girls in the ladies' how's-your-father.

Of course there is plenty of audience participation, lucky adults get away with cringing embarrassment and lucky kids are invited on stage. It was fifty years of breathing before I experienced that wall of silver light and the sound of humans on the other side, these kids get it at four. Lucky, lucky, blessed, little people! The cast treat them with great respect, and the kids, as kids can and do, act very well indeed, improvising and miming like the strolling players that, one day, one or two of them might become. And all thanks to an experience that for all of them will remain a bright memory. Great work Ratatat - where were you when I was a kid?

The production as a whole is superbly Brechtian, or rude mechanical, or just plain theatrical. There is humour and satisfaction in wardrobe (well, hat) changes, role changes, species changes, prop exploitation, and improvisation. No attempt to hide anything, or deceive; no fancy sound or lighting, no prop unused, no trick unturned. Brilliant small scale touring, get to the Ratatat website, check out the gruelling tour schedule and book seats. You'll be at the growth point of an ageless theatrical form, and you'll appreciate the experience. Take kids if you can, if not - get seats at the back where you will be relatively safe from Toad's arm-floppity-hops into the audience.

Be prepared to laugh!