Review: Wind in the Willows ***

Nature abounds in the foyer, in the gardens, indeed, all over York Theatre Royal, which has been turned into a kind of indoor nature reserve, in tribute to its major summer production.

Out in the garden there are two boats – Kenneth and Grahame – dedicated to the man whose story of Toad, Ratty, Mole and Badger has been pleasing adults and children for more than

100 years.

Once inside the auditorium itself, the magical transformation is complete. York Theatre Royal has never looked better.

It is a stunning feat of engineering that has turned a traditional theatre into an in-the-round sensory feast. The production envelops the audience magnificently.

Unfortunately, this version of The Wind in the Willows is not one that will cause many to fall in love with the story.

Grahame's source novel, although it has been made very successfully into several films, can easily become rather boring as a stage production.

The nature of the book is a celebration of a pace of life that moves at the speed of a slow river boat. This does not translate into gripping theatre.

Adapter Mike Kenny, deservedly one of the UK's most celebrated and best writers of plays for younger people, creates loving flashes of story in his script and directors Damian Cruden and Katie Posner throw their whole bag of tricks at the show. But despite the actors doing their damndest, the magical energy is missing.

Some of the musical interludes don't help. After one particular musical speedbump, Jonathan Race, as Ratty, says that he "feels as if I've been through something exciting and terrible yet nothing particular has happened" – an unfortunate piece of dialogue.