“It’s a great option for a lovely sunny day in Sydney and for many, I am sure, has become an annual event. Pack a picnic, slap on some sunscreen and join the crew for a riverbank adventure.“ – Lynden Jones 3.5 stars
As we approach the end of the school holidays it starts to become quite difficult to discover something new to entertain the kids. For the past 20 odd years there has been one option right in the heart of the city – Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind In The Willows at the Royal Botanic Gardens.
The show starts in a roped off area near the main pond of the gardens. We are first introduced to Head Chief Rabbit whose job it is to get everyone engaged and get all the little ‘rabbits’ excited for their adventure. From there we get to meet our much loved characters, Ratty, Mole, Badger, Otter, Portly, and Mr Toad as the company’s retelling of Grahame’s revered story unfolds. There are songs, dance, audience participation and a mid show relocation to Toad Hall. You are encouraged to bring along picnics with food and drinks but be prepared to pack up and relocate after about an hour or so.
This is a fun production with lots of laughs for the adults as well as the children. The story is abbreviated but for children who know the riverside caper, they will find a lot their favourite bits included. For those that don’t, it is still a fun story and easy to follow. The actors costumes and makeup are wonderful. Many of the actors have worked very hard to create a character that fits perfectly with their role and work tirelessly to keep the pace and energy up throughout the show. They are keenly aware of the attention span of their main audience members. One or two actors in our performance were a little low and at time lost some of attention and focus as the pace dropped away but overall the actors maintained a good pace. Our little four year old struggled in the first half and wanted to leave at one point, but to be fair, he is a little on the young side for this production. The production runs for around two hours which is a long attention span for the younger age bracket. It’s broken in the middle with the adventure walk to Toad’s Hall and a second break three quarters of the way through when the children are taken on a short separate jaunt. Older children (6 and up) will not have an issue with this and the parents will probably be glad of a two hour relax in the sun while enjoying many a laugh.
It has been a few years since I have seen this production and most, if not all, actors have turned over. This actually changes the production as it has a lot of what appears to be improvised moments (or at least well rehearsed moments that resemble improvisation) and the songs and references are always updated to reflect current trends and events. As a result you could probably go back and see it every year and get a slightly different show. While i personally would not class $110 per family as cheap, there are a lot of actors to support in this show (and probably a hefty fee to the Botanic Gardens) and considering the Sharks exhibit at the Australian Museum is $76, Taronga Zoo is $130 and the Listies at the Opera House are $140 – $180 for a family (with a 55 minute run time),it’s priced right in line with family events in Sydney.
Overall I enjoyed the show. It’s a great option for a lovely sunny day in Sydney and for many, I am sure, has become an annual event. Pack a picnic, slap on some sunscreen and join the crew for a riverbank adventure.
Lynden Jones, Theatre Now
Image credit: Ken Leanfore – 2017 production
