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The Wind in the Willows returns to the Gardens for the summer school holidays

The must-do family theatre experience, The Australian Shakespeare Company’s The Wind in the Willows, is back at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne this summer to entertain children and parents alike.

Celebrating 35 years in the Gardens, this is a tradition for generations of Victorian children. Families are invited to join Ratty, Mole, Badger, Otter, Portly and Mr Toad as they bring Kenneth Grahame’s immortal story of life on the riverbank to the stage.

Running from 18 December 2021 until 30 January 2022, the critically acclaimed, interactive outdoor theatre production delivers music, songs, and plenty of laughs.

The Australian Shakespeare Company founder and Artistic Director, Glenn Elston, says:

After another year of uncertainty and lockdowns, we thrilled to bring our summer tradition back to the Gardens and offer families a chance to be immersed in the antics of Ratty, Badger, Mole, Toad and their friends as they bring joy and laughter to the whole crowd.

The Wind in the Willows is affordable, interactive theatre at its best, with laughs and surprises a-plenty. Head Chief Rabbit transforms the audience into rabbits with a waggle of the ears and a wiggle of the nose, and encourages everyone to sing along and join in the promenade adventure.

Children will laugh and howl at the characters’ mad antics, go on an adventure with Head Chief Rabbit, Ratty and Mole, then join a important mission with the Rat Pack and Badger Patrol to rescue the little otter Portly, lost in the Wild Wood.

After a sell-out season this July/August in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (UK), the animals are home for the summer. “We welcome everyone to pack a picnic, pack the kids, and enjoy one of the most beautiful gardens in the world as you embark on a colourful adventure by the riverbank,” concluded Elston.

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS – The Australian Shakespeare Company

Location: Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne Gardens. Enter through F Gate on Birdwood Avenue.

Dates: 18 December 2021 to 30 January 2022

Tickets: $25 – $30 or $90 – $110 per group of four. On sale via shakespeareaustralia.com.au, call 03 8676 7511 or via Ticketmaster

For more information and to book, please visit shakespeareaustralia.com.au.

Gabi Bergman

Gabi Bergman (she/her) is a Melbourne-based performer and educator, and the current Deputy Editor-in-Chief of AussieTheatre.com. She holds a double degree in Theatre Studies and Film/Screen Studies, along with a Master of Teaching (Secondary Education). A passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity in the arts, Gabi brings her deep love of storytelling to the stage, the page, and the classroom. A lifelong lover of theatre, she spends more on tickets than she’d like to admit. Her most prized possession is her ever-growing collection of theatre programs.