Return to Toad Hall
Andrew Motion thought he knew The Wind in the Willows from his childhood. But when he was asked to turn it into a ballet libretto, he discovered an unexpectedly dark tale. From the Guardian

Suddenly last summer, a telephone call from Deborah Bull at the Royal Opera House. Her colleague Will Tuckett was about to start adapting The Wind in the Willows as a ballet, using music by George Butterworth, and wanted to include an all-speaking, non-dancing narrator. (The idea sprang from a recent production he had mounted of Constant Lambert's Mr Bear Squash-You-All-Flat , in which such a figure appears.) Did I know the book? Was I interested in it? Would I like to write a poem-libretto for the narrator?

Print played a small part in my childhood. Neither of my parents were especially interested in reading, and my brother and I preferred the outdoors to the in: it was a country upbringing. But for some reason, they made an exception of Toad (as they called it, following the example of thousands). Perhaps they felt they had to pass on something they'd enjoyed in their own early days? Perhaps they thought it fitted our rural life? Perhaps (a more complicated perhaps) they were reassured by its animal politics? In any event, it's one of the few books they read aloud to me, my mother taking the more lyrical bits, my father dealing with the flights and fights.

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<small>[ 21 December 2003, 01:59 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

<img src="http://www.royaloperahouse.org.uk/Custom/Icon/Item/windinthewillows_main.jpg" alt="" />

I've copied this across from "Uk news and issues":

From the ROH website:

A new ROH2 production

The Wind in the Willows
By kind permission of the Kenneth Grahame Estate, Supported (2002) by UBS Warburg
Choreography by William Tuckett
Narration by Andrew Motion
Music by Martin Ward after George Butterworth

10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 20 December at 7pm
14 | 15 | 21 | 22 December at 7.30pm

Dance, song, verse, music and puppetry...
a complete theatrical experience.

Based on Kenneth Grahame’s timeless classic, William Tuckett has brought together a collection of unique talent to re-tell the adventures of Mole, Ratty, Badger and Toad. Starring Adam Cooper, Mathew Hart, Luke Heydon, Will Kemp, Pippa Gordon and guided by Sir Anthony Dowell as the narrator of the trials and misadventures of the hapless Toad, played out against a topsy-turvy backdrop of the familiar and the bizarre. Set to capture all of the darkness and delight of this enchanting tale, the Wind in the Willows promises to entertain and charm audiences from 5 to 105 as the Linbury Studio Theatre becomes the magical setting of the story.

£18.50 | £9.50 concessions incl. under 18’s
£6.50 under 12’s

ROH website link

<small>[ 12-07-2002, 08:30: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Christmas shows: What a hoot!
In the mad rush of festive fun, the Royal Ballet’s Wind in the Willows could be the winner, says our mole, Clifford Bishop for The Sunday Times.



There was a simpler time, when no form of popular entertainment featuring a Badger or a Rat was considered quite complete unless it also had a Hyperactive Terrier. Then, as the gloriously opinionated though factually challenged historian Macaulay pointed out, the Puritans started to ban such events, not because the animals suffered, but because the audiences enjoyed themselves.
If Macaulay was right, the Puritans would have loved the plague of anthropomorphic whimsies that have descended on the London stage in the past few decades. Because in most of them, from Lloyd Webber’s Cats, with its cannon-fodder crowds of bemused Japanese tourists, to the Royal Ballet’s Tales of Beatrix Potter, which attracted hordes of fuzzily nostalgic parents and quickly distracted kids, everybody suffered equally.

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<small>[ 12-09-2002, 05:07: Message edited by: PressUK ]</small>

Preview in the Independent.

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The Wind in the Willows
by Judith Mackrell for The Guardian


What becomes of dancers who leave the Royal Ballet for reasons of age, independence or ambition? The answer this Christmas is that they end up in the basement theatre of the Opera House performing William Tuckett's enormously charming ballet, The Wind in the Willows.
With Adam Cooper as Badger, Matthew Hart as Toad, Luke Heydon as Otter and Anthony Dowell narrating the text, this cast of ex-Royals guarantees a classy product (especially with Will Kemp from AMP performing Ratty). But Tuckett's achievement is not just about creating a showcase for their combined talents, it is about making a ballet that goes with astonishing sweetness to the heart of Kenneth Grahame's story. As soon as the characters take life in the dusty attic of the narrator's imagination we are miles from furry cutesiness and deep into a very English fantasy of nostalgia, adventure and occasional nightmare.

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Wind of change
A new version of Kenneth Grahame's classic marks a new era of experimentation and access at the Royal Opera House's smaller spaces, says Nadine Meisner for The Independent

"Hullo, Mole!" "Hullo, Rat!" "Hullo, Toad!" Yes, it's time for the River Bank and the Wild Wood, for Toad Hall and Toad's shiny new motor car, painted bright red; and Toad himself in "goggles, cap, gaiters and enormous overcoat". Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows is upon us, not in the Alan Bennett version that was a hit at the Royal National Theatre a few years back, but in a new mixed-media production by the Royal Ballet (RB) choreographer William Tuckett. It brings together singers, dancers, a narrative by the poet Andrew Motion and a live narrator in the shape of the former RB director Anthony Dowell. It aims, its publicity says, "to entertain and charm audiences from 5 to 105." But its premiere has an extra dimension, because it marks the first production under the aegis of ROH2.

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Review in the Telegraph.

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And in the Times.

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Wind In Willows: Dance Or Prance?
by Paul Webb for Theatrenow

The Royal Opera House's version of The Wind in the Willows, which opened at the Linbury studio theatre last night (11th December), is a good example of the issues around theatrical dance performances.

There is an increasing cross-over between ballet and theatre, with Matthew Bourne's career being a particularly noticeable example of this, and - as discussed in his recent interview with Theatrenow - Adam Cooper, one of the stars of The Wind in the Willows, has also made a cross-over, choreographing and starring in a recent production of On Your Toes.

Although this is essentially a positive move - blurring the barriers between different stage traditions (theatre, ballet, opera) brings all three art forms to the attention of audiences who would in the past have been interested in only one of them - it can have disadvantages, as one of the many reviews of The Wind in the Willows pointed out.

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The simple joys of messing about
With attractive visuals, nifty choreography and an elegaic feel, The Wind in the Willows is a winner, says David Dougill in The Sunday Times


There are snowfalls aplenty on ballet stages around the country at this time of year — a staple ingredient of the ubiquitous Nutcrackers. And below ground, in the Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House, there is another snowy scene — with carol singers — to close the first half of The Wind in the Willows, a new show, conceived and choreographed by William Tuckett, for children of all ages. The difference here is that the snow also falls on the audience. There we all were, at a preview I attended last weekend, covered in white speckles. But when the lights went up at the interval, they had all vanished — and I won’t spoil the surprise by revealing how and why. It charmed us all.

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This Wild Wood looks tame and twee. Can Toad get it out of a hole?
By Jann Parry for The Observer


Like mole's hole or Badger's holt, William Tuckett's new production of The Wind in the Willows is found underground, in the bowels of the Royal Opera House (until 22 December). Its cast are mostly former members of the Royal Ballet, accompanied by a gallant group of musicians stacked on either side of the stage. Singers carol their way through the audience; Toad and his klaxon summon everyone back to their seats after the interval.

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Pleasures for young and old
Review by Nadine Meisner for The Independent

The Wind in the Willows is for all those who yearn for the wistful bygone days of Englishness, for riverbanks, picnics on plaid rugs, and Fair Isle patterned knitwear. The new production by ROH2 (as we must now call the department organising the Royal Opera House's satellite events) takes English nostalgia to new and magical heights. It adapts Kenneth Grahame's Edwardian classic into total theatre, where live music, song, dance and narration slot smoothly around each other.

The initial idea came from the show's choreographer and director, William Tuckett, who with the dancer Iohna Loots is the only participant employed by the main house. All the others are either ex-Royal Ballet or freelancers, such as the conductor Yuval Zorn, currently a member of the ROH's Young Vilar Artists programme, or the composer Martin Ward who has arranged an eminently congruous score, inspired by themes from the English revivalist composer George Butterworth.

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Wind in the Willows
By Jenny Gilbert for The Independent

Meanwhile at Covent Garden, family groups are being catered for in William Tuckett's Wind in the Willows – a music-and-dance version of Kenneth Grahame's book.

Nostalgia apart, this is hardly obvious material for ballet (how does a badger dance?). But Tuckett's laid-back inclusiveness – allowing spoken narrative, plenty of non-dance acting, and even a bit of light-operatic song – squeezes the thing into service, just about.

In any case, the Quay Brothers' clunky set doesn't leave room for shaking much of a leg. I'm mystified that so much space is given to roof timbers and furniture, when most of the story takes place on a riverbank. But then, so much suspension of disbelief is required to meet an amphibian Jeremy Clarkson with a full set of points on his licence, that such quibbles hardly signify.

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<small>[ 12-18-2002, 04:59: Message edited by: PressUK ]</small>

Another review for The Independent.

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Wind in the Willows
By Gavin Roebuck for The Stage


Kenneth Grahame's classic book is skilfully adapted to narrative form by poet laureate Andrew Motion, with choreography by the Royal Ballet's William Tuckett. The music of Martin Ward is deliberately derivative of the Edwardian composer George Butterworth.

The set designed by the Quay Brothers is cleverly versatile, if disappointingly colourless. Although there are references to ballet, choreographically it is a work for character rather than pointe shoes. It also seems to avoid beauty in shape or movement.

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I thought Wind in the Willows was the most enchanting, clever and witty production. The pure quality of the dancers and singers really made this, the extraordinary way they all manage to contort their faces into their characters. I loved the flirting fondness between Will Kemp’s dashingly natty Ratty and Pippa Gordon’s shy Mole. I adored the singing ducks and hopping rabbits, Iohna Loots especially. She was a lovely Clara in Nutcracker last night but her wide-eyed rabbit terrified by Toad and his menace of a motor car was hilarious. And her letter-stuffed “hare mail” satchel got a giggle out of me. The stoat puppets (Lion King-style) I wanted to pet but the weasels were as nasty as they're supposed to be. And Ratty's gun-twirling after coming to Mole's rescue was too cute. Adam Cooper was a gruff, pipe-smoking badger but most memorable was Matthew Hart’s nutty Toad, his tongue permanently flapping out of his mouth. He was completely insane! During the interval there was a huge commotion and Toad came racing out of a door into the audience-filled lobby, in his stolen motor car chased by police with truncheons! The opera-sung trial and verdict by the judge was hysterical – the droop on Toad’s face as his friends Badger, Mole and co. lined up to console him in the dock, the horror on his face as he counted on his fingers 1, 2, 5, 6…19, no let’s round it up to 20 years in jail! And the misery on his face was palpable as he crouched in his tiny cramped cell. It looks like such a tough, physical role though – as he leapt and spun from on place to another I could see huge droplets of sweat flying off him! It’s so obvious how clearly the dancers and singers love their characters, how they put their all into them. Anthony Dowell had a grandfatherly air to him and his narration was warm and vivid, as well as his reaction and interaction with the characters. It’s probably true that the text is beyond the littlest children but it’s such wonderful writing I can’t imagine WITW without it and it’s something for us nostalgic adults. The carols and snow were such a magical moment I actually became a little emotional! I loved the way the bits of opera singing were integrated into the story – it’s lovely to see collaboration between dance and opera for once. The use of the sets was imaginative – a giant chair over-turned became Toad’s prison cell, a closet was used for multiple doors and a horse-driven carriage. The musical score, while no masterpiece was an English dream. There’s been a tiny bit of criticism at the choreography but I thought it was quite imaginative and really it’s the characters that make the performance. I saw the choreographer William Tuckett upstairs during the interval but I was too shy to approach him so I’ll say it here instead, “Congratulations on a beautiful and loving production. I can’t remember being so happy and laughing so much throughout the whole two hours tonight or leaving as energised as I did.” I loved it. I loved how stuffed it was with details, little things that were going on around the main action so sometimes you didn’t know where to look for fear of missing something. I heartily recommend WITW but the performances are completely sold out. I’m seriously thinking about queuing for returns though I think I have zero chance. I hope as well that it’s staged regularly at the ROH, and it so deserves to tour. I doubt it would be as suitable for the main stage as the Linbury - much of the joy comes from the expressive faces of the characters. But I do think that because it is so intimate it would be perfect for filming and I would dearly love to see this huggable cast of characters and production preserved for everyone to see. The stop-motion animated film of this story is a treasured memory from my youth but I don’t know how I can ever go back to it after this! A cracking evening!

And finally, I want one of those cool knitted duck / rabbit-eared hat things!

William Tuckett: Return of the super furry animals
The Wind in the Willows is back - much to the delight of its choreographer
By Charlotte Cripps for The Independent

Work could not be more varied at the moment for William Tuckett, the choreographer and dancer with the Royal Ballet for 17 years. He is moving between choreographing his more serious number - Proverb, a duet about a disintegrating relationship - on the main stage at the Royal Opera House (until Friday) and The Wind in the Willows, which opens next week in the Linbury Studio Theatre.

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You can guarantee that Toad will still be in a hole
By Jann Parry for The Observer

Dances with songs and narration make The Wind in the Willows, revived from last Christmas, a family-friendly show, except for Andrew Motion's script. He's written mystic meditations in a Kenneth Grahame vein, guaranteed to bore children and exasperate adults (when the words are audible).

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Wind in the Willows, Linbury Studio, Royal Opera House
By Zoe Anderson for The Independent

The snow is magical. The first act of William Tuckett's Kenneth Grahame adaptation ends with carol singers coming to Badger's door. Fairy lights glow, the singers raise their lanterns and snow falls onstage. Then, wonderfully, it falls on the audience in thick, fluffy, melting flakes. Small children jump up from their seats to catch it.

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