On November 29 I had the pleasure of enjoying Alan Bennet’s adaptation of The Wind In The Willows, presented by the Tilbourne Players.

This delightfully scenic play, with its river, rowing boat, several subterranean dwellings and a prison cell to boot, seemed a lot to take on in the intimate space of the Tilford stage.

But take it on they did, creatively, cleverly and wonderfully under the excellent guidance of David Brace and Rob Durrant.

The moment that Ratty met Mole and welcomed him into his boat, I was back in the books and stories of my childhood. It was all there, from the early blossom of spring to the sparse trees lining the banks in the grip of winter.

From Ratty’s warm, welcoming home, through the tunnel to the perils of Wild Wood, it was all made visible and vivid. But, as in the books, the animals were the stars of the show.

They took Mr Bennet’s words and delivered them as only those animals can. The kindness of Ratty and the innocence of Mole, both played superbly, were amusing and touching in equal part.

Badger was as strong and forthright as ever I remember. The Weasels crept and stole menacingly throughout, and then there was Toad, masterful in his arrogance, powerful in voice, devious in nature, a Rik Mayall of a toad if ever I saw one.

But it is for the conveyance of the play’s moral messages that the company must be congratulated. A tale for Christmas time that told the story of simple animal folk encountering and resisting the thrust of the modern world, of three friends rallying to save another from a free-fall into trouble, his obsession fuelled by the modern car.

And finally witnessing Toad’s new self as a quiet and humble friend, well, almost quiet in his case, was heartwarming and a lesson to us all. The sweet song of the rabbits, the West Country twang of the horse and the tiny tones of In The Bleak Midwinter from the mice still rang in my ears as I drove home, with a wide smile on my face. Well done to all, it was a real cracker!

Alan Goodchild

Tilbourne Players have already started work on their spring 2026 production Lettice and Lovage, a 1987 play by Peter Shaffer which will be directed by Ian Wilson-Soppitt. The main parts are already cast but Ian would like to hear from anyone willing to take part in the crowd scenes.

Lettice and Lovage is a comical and satirical play centred on a flamboyant tour guide who loves to embellish the history behind an English country house and butts heads with a fact-conscious official there.

The play was written specifically for Dame Maggie Smith, who played the title role of Lettice Douffet in the English and American runs of the production. The role of Lotte Schoen was played by Margaret Tyzack.

Tilbourne Players puts on three productions a year at the Tilford Institute near Farnham. For more information visit https://www.tilbourneplayers.org.uk/