The Killing of Mr Toad
Written and Directed by David Gooderson
Written and Directed by David Gooderson
The Killing of Mr Toad is a poignant exploration of the life and family dynamics of Kenneth Grahame, the author of The Wind in the Willows, highlighting themes of dysfunction, ambition, and personal tragedy.
About The Play
About The Play
★★★★ Four Stars, WhatsOnStage
The Killing of Mr Toad revisits a timeless classic and the extraordinary story behind it.
1934. Elspeth Grahame, elderly widow of Kenneth Grahame, lives alone, rarely washing, barely eating. When she receives flowers from a young fan of The Wind in the Willows, memories flood in and the familiar characters of Toad, Badger, Rat and Mole appear – to perform a musical entertainment in honour of their creator, laying bare the tragicomedy of their real-life counterparts: the shy, retiring Kenneth Grahame, who was both Secretary of the Bank of England and a successful author; Elspeth, an eccentric socialite; and their bumptious only son – who became the prototype for Toad.
This rich and unusual play begins as a celebration of a famous book, but becomes a hard-hitting story of a dysfunctional family, unrealistic parental ambitions and teenage breakdown – as the author who delighted so many children is unable to save his own doomed son.
Revived for the first time in 25 years, The Killing of Mr Toad was first produced at Salisbury Playhouse in 1982 and at the King’s Head Theatre in 1983, and was subsequently adapted for BBC Radio 4 where it was selected as one of the Best Plays of 1984 in The Daily Telegraph and described as “excellent” by Alan Bennett in Writing Home.
Image copyright – The estate of E.H.Shepard reproduced with permission of Curtis Brown.