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A bit of inspired thinking at Welford Park saved the day at the recent outdoor performance of Wind in the Willows by professional touring theatre group The Pantaloons. Originally scheduled to go ahead in the amphitheatre Aline's Orchard, sweltering temperatures prompted a quick rethink and rather than roast the audience, it was relocated to the shade of the woodland.

The Pantaloons Wind in The Willows at Welford Park on Sunday, August 14. Review by PATRICK and BARBARA COGSWELL

Normally, the chief hazards of an open-air performance are the wind and rain. This time the exceptional temperatures moved Welford Park owner Deborah Puxley to a piece of inspired improvisation. The amphitheatre of Aline’s Orchard is a fine location but, in this weather, a deadly sun trap. Deborah therefore mobilised every available outdoor chair and picnic table and shifted the whole spectacle to the cool of the woods at the back of the Park.

Families formed a substantial part of the spectators. Some of the children would be too young to know Kenneth Grahame’s beautiful pastoral idyll. Their parents and grandparents however were more than ready to give a hearty welcome to their beloved Mr Toad, Ratty, Mole, and Badger.

Many of the adults too would have seen other recreations of Wind in the Willows. But Pantaloons’ three actors were hands-down winners for their wildly vivid rendering of Grahame’s mix of loveliness and suspense. The staging could not have been simpler: four boxes on a platform the size of a trampoline, from which they created the river, the woods, a canary-coloured caravan, (pah!), unstable boats, a stolen motor car, the prison and a runaway railway engine.

Alex Rivers took the twin roles of Toad and Mr. Badger, with Tim Phelps, (Ratty) and Emily Beach a hugely energetic Mole. (But un-amplified, in the open air, they really had to work at it!)

In all this creative fervour what were the greatest dramatic features?

The escapee railway locomotive was the most heartwarming. Train whistles are an obvious prop. But who would have thought of transforming a plastic coke bottle wrapped in gaffer tape and filled with talc, which, when clapped between the hands produces incredibly realistic puffs of steam blast. (You can try this at home).

The second great piece of stage craftmanship consisted of mobilising the audience who were in any case all begging to be hauled up on the stage. Using the old panto trick of splitting the crowd, the Righthanders (section A), were picked to play the sinister sounds of the Wild Wood. Highly effective with hand waving and throat rustling. The Lefthhanders, (Section B) were cast as The Howling Wind. (The winners I’d say.) The centrist group was one person, who scored an Oscar in the star role of Screech Owl.

The third triumph was how Pantaloons weave present life and times into the dialogue of an Edwardian story; the pandemic, Monkeypox, traffic queues, the cost of living and guacamole (Whack a Mole, geddit?) to name but five.

Lastly the Bafta award for overall management and good-eggness must go to Deborah for her audience care, ushering us to the best seats, stripping offending leaves from the lower branches to improve the view and generally looking after things and people. Lovely cakes and most welcome ice-creams at the filmset café too.

If you would like to know more about this talented but real world stage company look them up on www. thepantaloons.co.uk. and book them. You won’t be disappointed.