Bennett drama in Quenington garden (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Bennett drama in Quenington garden

WHAT nicer way of spending a long, hot summer evening could there be than recovering from an over-indulgent picnic by watching a garden production of the play that ran for years at the National Theatre - Alan Bennett's enchanting dramatisation of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows?

This play with music is a new departure for the Meysey Players who have a number of distinguished Shakespearian productions to their credit.

The garden is that of the Old Rectory in Quenington, the home of Lucy and David Able Smith, a delightful 18th century farmhouse where the River Coln flows gently through the lush Cotswold countryside in front of the house itself.

In fact there are two rivers because the millrace flows parallel to the Coln and the area in between where the play is to be presented is known as (what else) 'Mesopotamia'!

The story of Mole and Ratty, Badger and Toad, has been enjoyed by countless children of all ages since Kenneth Grahame began to tell his own son a series of stories on his fourth birthday.

When later published the stories were enriched by the magical illustrations of E H Shephard.

Although the National Theatre production boasted a double revolving stage with sets emerging from a central 'lift' the Meysey Players have something better...a real rowing boat on a real river...a real wood...real willow trees...real vintage cars (kindly lent by Mac Hulbert) zooming around and frightening Albert the horse, together with a caravan, a train, a gypsy encampment, a river barge, a prison (not real but all built by a designer of genius, Andrew Hebbs).

Add to this dozens of children playing the Riverbankers and Wildwooders, with the show presented in the 20's and 30's style of Billy Bunter and P G Wodehouse, and music, lots of it, specially composed by Richard Cleghorn-Brown in the style of Cole Porter, then everybody is going to have a wonderful time.

Enjoy! Enjoy!! Poop! Poop!!

The Wind in the Willows runs from Thursday, July 27 to Sunday, July 31. Booking Office 07913 920505.