Last month, ALRA's third years performed their final shows - The Wind in the Willows at ALRA South and Swallows and Amazons at ALRA North, both of which were showcased simultaneously.

The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows by Glyn Maxwell is an adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's classic novel with an environmental twist and plenty of silliness. The original music by Zachary Hart and Lizbet Sempa added an extra charm to this gentle, fun family show. View the cast members of this production here.

Swallows and Amazons

ALRA North presented an adaptation by Helen Edmundson and Neil Hannon of the 1930 book, Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome. With sailing and adventure and plenty of energy - our young audiences were delighted. The full cast list for this production can be seen here. 

We received lots of great feedback about the shows, including on social media:

We welcomed lots of local school children to these two productions who left us some wonderful comments and a few kind words about their experience:

“I like the slow motion"

“I really liked that they stayed in character for a long time and how they all seemed very different. It was really fun to watch. You could get caught up in the play and you just focused on the play and nothing else.”

“I really liked how they all had their different emotions – they didn’t just try to copy each other in it – you know how sometimes in shows they do that.’’

“I liked how they managed to go to different scenes and places using just a small space.”

“I thought the quality of the acting, singing and music was exceptional. It was so creative and physical and the ensemble approach really worked. We’d love to come again and see other things that you do! We are now inspired to make our own show even better.”

We are really delighted with the great reception the shows received and look forward to dazzling our guests at future productions.

To keep track of our upcoming shows, please subscribe to our newsletter or visit the 'What’s On' page.