Last night I caught the London premiere of Sincerely, Mr Toad at the Greenwich Theatre. Having toured around the UK with a well received stint at this year’s Fringe, the new musical examines the life of The Wind in the Willows author Kenneth Grahame, his icy relationship with wife Elspeth and the tragic early death of their son Alastair – and how these and other factors shaped Grahame’s imagination and writing (and vice versa).
The story (by David Hutchinson) is a compelling one and well worth experiencing, especially if you’re a fan of Grahame’s work. Music (David Wilson) was of West End calibre; I left humming. A couple of songs in particular had real breakout potential. Performances (acting, singing, dancing) were strong. Adam Venus (Kenneth Grahame) and Sarah Borges (Elspeth) impressed with solid singing and emotional presence. I also thought Kirsty Marie Ayers was a delight as the Grahame family’s frolicsome neighbour, Beth. Set design (Kemey Lafond) was minimal but effective with a few “wow” moments here and there. Her excellent animals masks set an eerie dreamlike tone in the third act and were a highlight of the show for me.
Downside? I wish there’d been more of Grahame’s fantasy world coming alive on stage. I didn’t leave feeling that I’d had my fill of what was going on in his head or fully appreciating how it coloured his interactions and daily life. Just a tad more of the fanciful would have been so much more fun and would have tampered the play’s sombre tone to a more palatable level. Also, the show seemed as if it had been abridged – like a chunk from the middle bit of the story had been removed – requiring the audience to fast forward without being offered any time to reflect on how the plot had progressed.
Sincerely, Mr Toad runs until Saturday 14 September at Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, SE10 8ES. Evening tickets costs £17.50, £12.50 for concessions. All matinees tickets are £12.50. Visit greenwichtheatre.org.uk for more information and to book tickets.
