The Wind in the Willows,

adapted from the book by Kenneth
Grahame and directed by Gill Morrell

Auditions at the Pavilion,

Sunday 3rd September at 3:30pm and
Monday 4th September at 7.30pm.

From Gill Herself:

 

Some of you may remember that we did this very successfully quite a few years ago; I wrote it in 1999, I think, and it's been performed all over the place by many different groups since. It sticks closely to the book, with the exception of the character of Otter, who is missed out.
 

Set firmly in Edwardian England, the characters are people with animal characteristics. There is lots of comedy, music, chases and warmth, and a really evil bunch of Weasels whose mission is to bring down Toad as he lurches from one transport craze to another.
 

Dates are Wednesday to Sunday 17th - 21st January . Rehearsals will be on Sundays and at least one evening a week from late October, exact days to be decided in consultation with the cast, with a short break for Christmas. I expect to do a read through some time in September.
 

The male / female mix is very flexible. All the smaller parts will be doubled so that everyone except Toad, Ratty, Mole and Badger will play more than one role, and will also be rabbits and weasels. We'll need four children (age 8 plus) to be hedgehogs, mice and other animals. All the other actors are adults.
Ratty and Toad sing solo; the other songs are sung by groups. Laurie Parnell has agreed to update/create and record the music for us, for which I am so grateful. The auditions will include some simple singing for everyone. Let me know on gillmorrell1@gmail.com if you want to audition or take part in
any way; if you can't make the dates, we'll sort something out in August if possible.

​

Ratty- a boater-wearing university type, romantic, writes poetry, entirely at home in his river environment
Mole - eager and endearing, searching for excitement away from his dull underground world, an affectionate and loyal friend
Badger - older, a solid citizen, content with the world as he sees it, gruff and shy with strangers
Toad - a tweedy Squire, wealthy enough to be able to follow whatever craze he has, over-confident and boastful but essentially likeable
Chief Weasel - an evil, gangster-type, watching for the slightest chance to trick Toad out of his money, house and position
Weasel One - his accomplice
Weasel Two - his accomplice
Alfred, the horse - long suffering, looking forward to the revolution
Bertie and Elvira - a pair of Edwardian car drivers
Jailer's Daughter
Aunt - a washerwoman
Railway Clerk
Train Driver
Water Rat - a summer visitor to England who enchants Ratty with his tales of the Mediterranean
Barge Woman
Gipsy

Children's speaking parts:
Hedgehogs 1 and 2 - young hedgehogs who get lost in the Wild Wood
Field Mice