The Adventures of Toad & Friends
Cast: 20 gender neutral (minimum with doubling)
Run time: 100 minutes
When a quiet Mole leaves his spring cleaning for a life of adventure on the riverbank, he joins forces with a charming Water Rat, a wise Badger, and an eccentric Toad to reclaim Toad’s ancestral home from the wicked, invading animals of the Wild Wood.
The play follows the story of Mole, who comes out of his home in springtime to meet new friends – a Water Rat, sensible elderly Badger and lively Toad. Toad’s obsession with various forms of transport eventually lead him into trouble when he steals a motor car, despite the friends’ best efforts to reform him.
After being jailed for 20 years, the Wild Wooders – weasels, stoats and foxes – band together to take over Toad Hall.
Following Toad’s escape from jail, the friends hatch an ingenious plan to reclaim Toad Hall, from the band of outlaws.
This brand new stage play adaptation of The Wind in the Willows allows for elements of ensemble and physical performance. Suitable for youth groups, schools or mixed community theatres to perform, this is great family entertainment as an alternative to the traditional British pantomime.
Minimum of 20 actors with most roles cast gender blind.
First performed in Devon by Red Spider Youth Theatre in May 2026.
Cast:
19 actors with doubling (gender neutral) - additional doubling is possible.
For school productions where additional students are available, roles may be divided accordingly.
Characters:
Mole
Rat
Toad
Badger
Otter Also plays Man in Car, and Station Master
Alfred, horse Also plays Clerk of the Court / Fox
Magistrate Also plays Train driver / Squirrel
Jailer’s daughter (Girl) Also plays woman in car / Duck / Baby rabbit 3
Policeman Also plays Barge Woman / Drake / Rabbit 3
River-bankers Wild Wooders
Old Rabbit Chief Weasel
Rabbit Baby 1 Bertie Hedgehog
Rabbit Baby 2 Billy Hedgehog
Baby Portly Otter Also plays a weasel
Rabbit1 Also plays a weasel
Rabbit 2 Also plays a weasel
A squirrel Also plays a weasel
Tommy mouse Also plays a sentry stoat (Wild wooder)
Timmy mouse Also plays a sentry stoat (Wild wooder)
Tilly mouse Also plays a Fox
The Riverside animals and Wild Wooder’s roles may be played without doubling to allow for an extended cast for school productions.
The four main characters should not be doubled.
