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The Wind in the Willows is a quintessentially  English children’s novel by  Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It takes us into the fantasy pastoral  world  of Mole, Ratty, and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, and his troublesome  motorcar . The novel was based on bedtime stories Grahame told his son Alastair and those stories create a non linear timeless phantasmagoria .

Derby theatre is good at creating Christmas, family friendly shows with a tried and tested formula of bringing alive traditional material with an energetic, multi talented cast the principals of whom  sing, dance, play musical instruments and perform original music. Director Trina Haldar is at the heart of this, her original academic background was in chemistry, now swapped for a pursuit of dramatic alchemy with her Mashi theatre project. The story is adapted for stage by Toby Hulse who specialises in family shows.

I had nine year old Sol and seven year old  May with me to ensure that my veteran eyes were recalibrated to see things from a youthful perspective how they loved the ferrets.

Nettie Scriven has the challenge of recreating  riverbank  homes and Toad Hall ,doing so elegantly and imaginatively with a sloping mono pitch set riddled with holes and doorways. Early on movement  director, Stacey McCarthy establishes her credentials with a remarkable display of human ducks in  show which always has something going on visually.

Ivan Stott leads the line as Badger, musician and composer, avuncular and with an itch that Harold Steptoe would have been proud of. Isobel Witcomb is a hit with the children as the wistful ratty, but it is the irrepressible Ines Sampaio who steals the show as multiple animals ( most notably Black Rat), and skilled percussionist, bringing latin flair and gusto to the proceedings.  Charlotte Dowding anchors the show as Mole while John Holt Roberts channels his inner Jacob Rees Mogg as a duplicitous, hapless country squire

All the children loved Toad’s car, which earned its own round of applause, and its miniature. amongst  so much to see and watch out for in every part of the stage as numerous mini stories unwound. The narrative is a little thin, but the themes of friendship, the environment, looking beyond yet being mindful of what you already have, are strongly enough presented to carry the evening. The latter reprises “the Wizard of Oz” – and there is no place like home.

This is a charming, enchanting show with shades of Shakespeare’s “As You Like it” on the edges. The original music is strictly of the travelling minstrel  variety , with a line from Blur’s “In the Country”) slipped in to tantalise us. Indeed how Paul Weller’s “Wild wood”, Neil Young’s “Harvest moon” and the Jam’s “Tales from the riverbank” missed out is a bit of a mystery, but what there is comes over energetically and enjoyably. An ideal Christmas hors d oeuvres  for the entire family.

“Wind in the Willows” runs until 31^st December.