A BRAND new musical re-telling the world famous story of The Wind in the Willows blows into the county in April.

It will be starring Olivier award-winning actor, ‘the nation’s favourite pantomime dame’, and star of BBC’s The Story of Tracey Beaker, Clive Rowe as Mr Badger, alongside X-Factor favourite Seann Miley Moore (Duck) and Let It Shine performer Matt Knight (Chief Weasel).

The show features spectacular street dance choreographed by the award-winning Rhimes Lecointe (associate choreographer for Zoo Nation, and artistic director of Boudicea), and will also star deaf street dancer Chris Fonseca.

Uniquely it will incorporate British Sign Language (BSL) into the choreography for a unified experience for D/deaf and hearing audiences alike.

It’s Mole’s first day in ‘The Willows’. Her classmates look a bit scary. Surely Mr Badger will look out for her, as streetwise Rattie, rich kid Toad and cheeky Otter teach her the ways of The Riverbank.

But when Toad gets locked up for joyriding, the Weasel Clan break into his (lily)pad. It's now only a matter of time before Chief Weasel reveals Mole’s dark secret...

This classic story is brought leaping into the twenty first century featuring ballads, beats and backflips and will be fun for the whole family.

Olivier-award winner Clive Rowe MBE has had an illustrious career on stage and screen; best-known to family audiences for his role as ‘Norman "Duke" Ellington in BBC Children's drama The Story of Tracy Beaker, Clive’s extensive stage credits include Me and My Girl (Chichester), Guys and Dolls (NT and West End), Chicago (Adelphi), The Light Princess (NT), Kiss Me Kate (Chichester and Old Vic), and many appearances in panto, particularly at the Hackney Empire.

Originally from Sydney Australia, Seann Miley Moore stole the nation’s heart as a finalist on the UK’s X-Factor, while street dancer Chris Fonseca was made deaf in both ears from a very young age after suffering meningitis.

He dances with the use of a Cochlear Implant in one ear, and the sensation of musical vibrations through his body. In 2010, he joined the all deaf dance group, Def Motion and then later joined Studio 68 dance training academy as a teacher and choreographer. He is now a solo dancer.


In the Willows will be on stage at Malvern from Wednesday, April 24 to Saturday, April 27.