On Thursday 9 and Friday 10 June 2016 the School Hall was transformed into the Riverbank and our Lower School actresses put on some wonderful performances of the Wind in the Willows. This delightful story details the courageous exploits of four anthropomorphic characters - Ratty, Mole, Toad and Badger, who are drawn together through the magnetic pull of friendship and the river as they face many challenges and adventures which test their courage, ingenuity and tenacity.
The play was highly entertaining, funny, exciting and clever. The girls in the leading roles were excellent and it was lovely to see the stage full of squirrels, mice, hedgehogs and rabbits - the characteristics of these animals all came across well. The 'Wild Wooders' were marvellously sinister with their black leather jackets, dark glasses and red eyes. Using Alan Bennett's stage adaptation of the original story by Kenneth Grahame, the plot unfolded via a series of short scenes which worked really well and the girls made great use of the space (on stage and off) for chases and the big battle scene at the end. Clever projections and staging added to the atmosphere transporting us from the beautiful riverside to the dark Wild Wood; from luxurious Toad Hall to the dungeon.
This was a new venture for the Drama Department who always produce a school production in the spring (it was 'Barnum' in February 2016) but this year wanted to add a play for younger students to their busy performance schedule. With an enthusiastic, spirited and creative cast (double cast for the main roles), a brilliant backstage crew, lots of staff support and huge commitment from everyone involved, they pulled it off. In addition, set design, costume, makeup, lighting and incidental music all contributed to this highly polished and accomplished production.
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