Theatre News

Full cast joining Rufus Hound in The Wind in the Willows at London Palladium announced

The production will transfer to the West End in June

The West End cast of The Wind in the Willows
The West End cast of The Wind in the Willows
© Darren Bell

The full cast for the West End transfer of The Wind in the Willows at the London Palladium has been announced.

The previously announced Rufus Hound will be joined by Simon Lipkin (Avenue Q) as Rat, Craig Mather (Les Miserables) as Mole, Neil McDermott (EastEnders) as Chief Weasel, Denise Welch (Coronation Street) as Mrs Otter and Gary Wilmot (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) as Badger.

With a book by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, and music and lyrics from Stiles and Drewe, the musical starred Hound as Mr Toad when it premiered in Plymouth last year. WhatsOnStage said the show was "well on the way to becoming a classic musical."

Directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, the musical is based on Kenneth Grahame’s classic 1908 novel. Speaking to WhatsOnStage, Kavanaugh said that the production "reflects modern Britain's shapes, sizes and colours".

The full cast includes Chris Aukett, Joel Baylis, Jenna Boyd, Abigail Brodie, Abigail Climer, Jorell Coiffic-Kamall, Nicole Deon, Emilie du Leslay, Joshua Gannon, James Gant, Evan James, Michael Larcombe, Bethany Linsdell, Ryan Pidgen, Adam Vaughan, Georgie Westall and Natalie Woods.

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The Wind in the Willows will run at the London Palladium from 29 June, with previews from 17 June.