The Wind In The Willows (ESNA) Loughborough Town Hall
2nd October 2024
Loughborough-based amateur group ESNA are hitting the Town Hall stage this week with their production of ‘The Wind In The Willows’. The Stiles & Drewe musical adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s timeless 1908 novel continued the composing duo’s fondness for adapting children’s stories for the stage, following their work on ‘Just So’, ‘Honk!’, ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Mary Poppins. The musical saw rather muted success in the late 2010s but quickly disappeared from our stages, and ESNA are hoping to change that fortune with their production.
On a crisp Spring day, Mole (played by Lewis Fenn-Griffin) meets Ratty (James Daw), who’s spending his day messing about on the river., and the two strike up an instant friendship. They also meet Mrs Otter (Emma Adcock) searching for her daughter Portia (Hannah Oxpring), who’s constantly searching for food. Their tranquil day is broken when Mr Toad (Gareth Busson) speeds by his new boat, his latest fad, and an obsession which is soon replaced by motor cars. His crazed need for speed and vehicle theft frustrates all of the local animals, so Ratty and Mole seek the guidance of Badger (Meng Khaw), who lives in the Wild Wood, which is also home to a band of mischievous foxes, stoats and weasels (led by Aaron Murray and Jenny Stuttle). While the gang try to save Mr Toad from himself, the Wildwooders plot to break into Toad Hall and reclaim it for themselves.
As source material, ‘The Wind In The Willows’ is known for its quaint leisurely charm, and while that is certainly felt in the musical, it doesn’t really make for an exciting or engaging stage experience. Julian Fellowes’ book plays things very safe, creating something that’s neither wacky enough for children or funny enough for adults. It’s hard to see why Fellowes felt the narrative would suit a stage adaptation, and it’s all very “safe” and little to get excited about. There isn’t sufficient plot in Grahame’s story to sustain a two-and-a-half hour show, leaving it feeling padded-out and stretched too thin. The score also doesn’t reach the heights of Stiles & Drewe’s other works, lacking any memorable melodies or standout moments. Again it’s pleasant enough, but leaves little lasting impression.
Despite these shortcomings, ESNA have delivered the show as it’s been written, and the production itself rises above the musical’s flaws. ESNA have a strong reputation and always give us shows of high quality, and the same is true here. Director Rachel Ingham frames the scenes well, there’s some inventive set design which is used inventively, and some strong choreography (Anna Rowlands). The show also features a 15-strong orchestra (led by Pete Fines), larger than many West End shows, creating a full rich sound (although at times the sound balance favours the orchestra and lyrics to some songs are lost).
The ESNA group features some fantastic stage performers, and the leads here certainly make ‘The Wind In The Willows’ a show worth watching. Lewis Fenn-Griffin and James Daw share a great “buddy cop” chemistry and bounce off each other well, and Emma Adcock shines as always as Mrs Otter. Mr Toad is the obvious scene-stealing role, which Gareth Busson absolutely does and is a joy to watch throughout, throwing himself into it completely. And Aaron Murray really stands out as the chief weasel, sneering and prowling the stage while showing off some impressive vocals.
While certainly one of Stiles & Drewe’s weaker efforts, credit needs to go to the ESNA team for delivering the material as well as they have done here. A flawed musical performed fantastically, ‘The Wind In The Willows’ still remains worth your time and deserving of local support. 2025 will see them tackling ‘Legally Blonde’ and ‘The Producers’, and we’re looking forward to seeing what they come up with.
‘The Wind In The Willows’ runs at Loughborough Town Hall until Saturday 5th October 2024.
Performance runtime 2 hours 30 minutes including interval.
