The Australian Shakespeare Company, under the artistic direction of Glenn Elston, is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary of presenting theatre at Kew Gardens and is doing so with a trio of productions: Twelfth Night, Jack and the Beanstalk and The Wind in the Willows, the latter of which I was fortunate enough to review.
The first thing to say is that tickets to the productions also include admission to explore Kew Gardens before and/or after the performance. I would therefore encourage anyone attending to arrive as early as possible to make the most of the experience. Even though I arrived with a good two hours to spare, it still didn't feel like enough time to take in the beauty of the magnificent 326-acre site.
But to the show itself, which is very much pantomimic in style, never taking itself too seriously and is aimed at family audiences, particularly young children. As a result, these productions are always difficult to review in the traditional sense, as you would almost need to experience them through the eyes of the children in attendance to truly judge whether they achieved their intended effect. What I can say is that, judging by the reactions of the young theatregoers around me, this was undoubtedly a hit.
The storyline is very much secondary to the silly shenanigans, but fans of Kenneth Grahame's classic will be pleased to hear that it remains largely faithful to the original plot, albeit with a few exceptions. One of my favourite lines of the afternoon came from Chief Head Rabbit, who indignantly declared his outrage that he "wasn't even in the book!" There are also sprinklings of music throughout the show, combining familiar pop songs with original compositions.
The production begins on the riverbank, allowing for some wonderfully magical entrances as Ratty and Toad row past on the water. Roughly halfway through the performance, the audience is led to a second location within the gardens, where, after just a couple of minutes' walk, they arrive at Toad Hall, the setting for the remainder of the show. The change of location is an enjoyable touch and helps to break up the performance, particularly for the benefit of younger audience members.
The cast were all fitted with radio microphones and the technical team, who had to relocate between the two performance spaces, did a sterling job. This was especially impressive given the unfortunate number of planes flying overhead. Something I barely noticed while exploring the gardens but became much more aware of during the performance itself.
Sadly, no programmes (either physical or digital) were available and, despite being told otherwise, I have been unable to find an accurate cast list online, but kudos to the eight-strong cast who really gave their all and kindly posed for photos with the children afterwards.
Overall, this proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an afternoon in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable and judging by the delighted reactions of the younger audience members, an experience they are unlikely to forget in a hurry. The three productions play in repertory at Kew Gardens until 23 August. Tickets: here.
Review: Jack Shaw