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Toad of Toad Hall

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For the character, see Mr. Toad.

Poster for a 2008 theatrical production of Toad of Toad Hall

Toad of Toad Hall is a play written by A. A. Milne – the first of several dramatisations of Kenneth Grahame's 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows – with incidental music by Harold Fraser-Simson.[1] It was originally produced by William Armstrong at the Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool, on 21 December 1929.

Background and first productions

For his stage version of Grahame's book, the humorist and playwright A. A. Milne concentrated on the adventures of Mr Toad, which make up about half of the original book, because they lent themselves most easily to being staged. He loved Grahame's book, which is one of the reasons he decided to adapt it. He wrote in the introduction to the published play:

There are familiarities which we will allow only ourselves to take. Your hands and my hands are no cleaner than anybody else's hands, yet the sort of well-thumbed bread-and-butter which we prefer is that on which we have placed our own thumbs. It may be that to turn Mr Kenneth Grahame into a play is to leave unattractive finger-marks all over him, but I love his books so much that I cannot bear to think of anybody else disfiguring them. That is why I accepted a suggestion, which I should have refused in the case of any other book as too difficult for me, that I should dramatize The Wind in the Willows.[2]

The first production was at the Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool, on 21 December 1929, under the direction of William Armstrong. The first London productions were at the Lyric Theatre on 17 December 1930 and the Savoy Theatre on 22 December 1931.[3]

Original casts

Liverpool, 1929 Lyric, 1930 Savoy, 1931
Nurse Mamie Hunt Mona Jenkins Mona Jenkins
Marigold Katrina Kaufmann Wendy Toye Nova Pilbeam
The Mole Alan Webb Richard Goolden Richard Goolden
The Water Rat Lloyd Pearson Ivor Barnard A. Cameron Hall
Mr Badger Wyndham Goldie Eric Stanley Eric Stanley
Toad Leslie Kyle Frederick Burtwell Frederick Burtwell
Alfred Peter Mather R. Halliday Mason R. Halliday Mason
Back Legs of Alfred Martin Hyde Frank Snell Frank Snell
Chief Weasel Nelson Welch Ronald Alpe Robert Hughes
Chief Stoat John Guinness William McGuigan Leslie Stroud
Chief Ferret John Robinson Alfred Fairhurst Neal Alston
First Field-Mouse Sally Lockhart Gordon Tucker Jim Neal
Second Field-Mouse Audrey Wilson Robert Sinclair Jim Soloman
Policeman Herbert Bickerstaff Alban Blakelock Alban Blakelock
Gaoler Basil Nairn Alfred Fairhurst Robert Hughes
Judge James Harcourt Alfred Clark Tom Reynolds
Usher Alfred Sangster Humphrey Morton Beeson King
Turkey Lorraine Cromarty Gordon Tucker Jim Soloman
Duck Trevor Reid Robert Sinclair Jim Neal
Phoebe Joan Harker Joan Harker Wendy Toye
Washerwoman Marjorie Fielding Dorothy Fane Dorothy Fane
Mama Rabbit Elizabeth Ripley Phyllis Coulthard Phyllis Coulthard
Harold Rabbit Doris Forrest Marcus Haig Jim Ned
Lucy Rabbit Kathleen Boutcher Daphne Allen Daphne Allen
Barge-Woman Pauline Lacey Francis Waring Muriel Johnston
Sources: The Stage (1929); The Era (1930); and playscript (1931).[3]

Synopsis

The play comprises a prologue, four acts and an epilogue:

  • Prologue and Act 1
  • Down by the Willows
  • Act II
  • 1. The Wild Wood
  • 2. Badger's House
  • 3. The Same. Some Weeks Later
  • Act III
  • 1. The Court-House
  • 2. The Dungeon
  • 3. The Canal Bank
  • Act IV
  • 1. Rat's House By The River
  • 2. The Underground Passage
  • 3. The Banqueting-Room at Toad Hall
  • Epilogue
  • The Wind in the Willows

Music

Although not a musical, the play contains six songs, with music written by Harold Fraser-Simson.[4]

Revivals

The play was revived in the West End each year from 1932 to 1935, and was next seen there in 1954, in a production first seen at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, with Leo McKern as Toad, William Squire as Rat, Edward Atienza as Mole and Brewster Mason as Badger.[5]

In the 1960s and 1970s there were annual West End revivals during the Christmas season, with Goolden returning to the part of Mole in every year except one.[6] Among the actors appearing in the play in London and elsewhere were, in the title role Michael Bates, Hywel Bennett, Derek Godfrey, Nicky Henson, Michael Hordern, Michael Williams and Peter Woodthorpe.[7] Alan Badel and Clive Revill were among those seen as Rat;[8] Badgers included Michael Blakemore, Mark Dignam, John Justin and John Woodvine;[9] Performers seen in other roles in the play included Beverley Cross, Judi Dench, Ian McKellen, Rita Tushingham and Brett Usher.[10]

Adaptations

The play was adapted by BBC television in 1947: Toad of Toad Hall.[11]

References and sources

References

  1. ^ Gray, Louise (6 September 2013). "Where are they now? The characters of Wind in the Willows". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  2. ^ Milne (1946), p. v
  3. ^ a b "Provincial Productions", The Stage, 26 December 1929, p. 18; "Toad of Toad Hall", The Era, 24 December 1920, p. 1; and Milne (1932), p. iii
  4. ^ "A. A. Milne*, Kenneth Grahame, H. Fraser-Simpson* - Toad Of Toad Hall". Discogs. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  5. ^ "Christmas Shows", The Stage, 31 December 1954, p. 8
  6. ^ Herbert, pp. 482–483
  7. ^ Herbert, pp. 391, 403, 658, 723, 745, 1257 and 1269
  8. ^ Herbert, p. 374 and 1059
  9. ^ Herbert, pp. 420, 553, 794 and 1269
  10. ^ Herbert, pp. 521, 545, 1199 and 27; and "Toad of Toad Hall", Ian McKellen. Retrieved 23 April 2021
  11. ^ "Toad of Toad Hall (1947)". IMDb. Retrieved 9 December 2015.

Sources

  • Herbert, Ian (ed) (1977). Who's Who in the Theatre (sixteenth ed.). London and Detroit: Pitman Publishing and Gale Research. ISBN 978-0-273-00163-8. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  • Milne, A. A. (1932). Toad of Toad Hall. London: Samuel French. OCLC 772896476.
  • Milne, A. A. (1946). Toad of Toad Hall. London: Methuen. OCLC 963200557.

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