THE Thursday night performance of the St Katharines Junior Stratford Players was played out in front of a lively (and vociferous) ‘full house’ in the Church Hall.

The Wind in the Willows, a tale by Kenneth Grahame, is a children’s classic, and revolves around the friendship of Ratty , a water rat, whose chief delight in life is 'messing about in boats' ; the far more tentative Mole, and the flamboyant, larger-than-life Toad , owner of Toad Hall, the local grand house.

His unquenchable thirst for "new machines" leads Toad into a reckless motoring misdemeanour, and he ends up in prison. His bubbling effervescence is quelled only briefly as he soon manages to escape, dressed as a washerwoman, only to discover that his beloved Toad Hall has been taken over by the malicious Chief Weasel and her gang.

Inevitably, in the end, Toad and his pals win the day, and the Hall is cleared, once and for all, of the unwanted vermin.

The St Katharines Juniors, as is their wont, threw themselves wholeheartedly into the production.

Directed and Produced by Viv Barrat and Hannah Mayne, all the cast did themselves proud, and were particularly well led by the mesmeric Toad (Jordan Harries), the confident Ratty (Saul Bayjoo), and the affable Mole (Arron Davies).

Aided by colourful and contrasting sets, The Wind in the Willows proved once again that the St Katharine Stratford Players, with their bunch of young thespians, always make it a pleasure to see them perform, ensuring that the audience leaves filled with the glow of that feel-good factor.

Long may it continue.

THE CAST:

Toad - Jordan Harries; Ratty - Saul Bayjoo; Mole - Arron Davies; Mrs Otter - Megan Evans; Chief Weasel - Natalie Thomas; Badger - Georgina Pollard; Portly - Jay Coombe; Fiona - Hannah Mayne; Reginald - Keith Jenkins; Magistrate - Hollie Phillips; Clerk - Hannah Venables; Policeman - Liv Tavenner; Jenny - Finlay Macdonald; Nellie - Megan Gough; Bargewoman - Jess Kenniford; Zelda - Jasmine John; Dobbin - Dave Barrat and Arron Evans; Gypsies - Catryn Goffin; Bella Lloyd; Caitlyn Martin; Bethan Oughton; Weasles - Carli Evans; James Gale; Lauren Jenkins; Caitlyn Martin; Eleanor Price; George Venables; Fieldmice/rabbits - Elfin Bevan; Casey Davies; Shannon Davies; Hannah George; Jake George; Isaac MacEachern, Alicia Thomas.