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Toad of Toad Hall
Toad of Toad Hall A Play from Kenneth Grahame's Book "The Wind in the Willows"
175 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1929
3 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
A.A. Milne
1,776 books3,654 followersAlan Alexander Milne (pronounced /ˈmɪln/) was an English author, best known for his books about the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh and for various children's poems.
A. A. Milne was born in Kilburn, London, to parents Vince Milne and Sarah Marie Milne (née Heginbotham) and grew up at Henley House School, 6/7 Mortimer Road (now Crescent), Kilburn, a small public school run by his father. One of his teachers was H. G. Wells who taught there in 1889–90. Milne attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied on a mathematics scholarship. While there, he edited and wrote for Granta, a student magazine. He collaborated with his brother Kenneth and their articles appeared over the initials AKM. Milne's work came to the attention of the leading British humour magazine Punch, where Milne was to become a contributor and later an assistant editor.
Milne joined the British Army in World War I and served as an officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and later, after a debilitating illness, the Royal Corps of Signals. He was discharged on February 14, 1919.
After the war, he wrote a denunciation of war titled Peace with Honour (1934), which he retracted somewhat with 1940's War with Honour. During World War II, Milne was one of the most prominent critics of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, who was captured at his country home in France by the Nazis and imprisoned for a year. Wodehouse made radio broadcasts about his internment, which were broadcast from Berlin. Although the light-hearted broadcasts made fun of the Germans, Milne accused Wodehouse of committing an act of near treason by cooperating with his country's enemy. Wodehouse got some revenge on his former friend by creating fatuous parodies of the Christopher Robin poems in some of his later stories, and claiming that Milne "was probably jealous of all other writers.... But I loved his stuff."
He married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt in 1913, and their only son, Christopher Robin Milne, was born in 1920. In 1925, A. A. Milne bought a country home, Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield, East Sussex. During World War II, A. A. Milne was Captain of the Home Guard in Hartfield & Forest Row, insisting on being plain 'Mr. Milne' to the members of his platoon. He retired to the farm after a stroke and brain surgery in 1952 left him an invalid and by August 1953 "he seemed very old and disenchanted".
He was 74 years old when he passed away in 1956.
A. A. Milne was born in Kilburn, London, to parents Vince Milne and Sarah Marie Milne (née Heginbotham) and grew up at Henley House School, 6/7 Mortimer Road (now Crescent), Kilburn, a small public school run by his father. One of his teachers was H. G. Wells who taught there in 1889–90. Milne attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied on a mathematics scholarship. While there, he edited and wrote for Granta, a student magazine. He collaborated with his brother Kenneth and their articles appeared over the initials AKM. Milne's work came to the attention of the leading British humour magazine Punch, where Milne was to become a contributor and later an assistant editor.
Milne joined the British Army in World War I and served as an officer in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and later, after a debilitating illness, the Royal Corps of Signals. He was discharged on February 14, 1919.
After the war, he wrote a denunciation of war titled Peace with Honour (1934), which he retracted somewhat with 1940's War with Honour. During World War II, Milne was one of the most prominent critics of English writer P. G. Wodehouse, who was captured at his country home in France by the Nazis and imprisoned for a year. Wodehouse made radio broadcasts about his internment, which were broadcast from Berlin. Although the light-hearted broadcasts made fun of the Germans, Milne accused Wodehouse of committing an act of near treason by cooperating with his country's enemy. Wodehouse got some revenge on his former friend by creating fatuous parodies of the Christopher Robin poems in some of his later stories, and claiming that Milne "was probably jealous of all other writers.... But I loved his stuff."
He married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt in 1913, and their only son, Christopher Robin Milne, was born in 1920. In 1925, A. A. Milne bought a country home, Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield, East Sussex. During World War II, A. A. Milne was Captain of the Home Guard in Hartfield & Forest Row, insisting on being plain 'Mr. Milne' to the members of his platoon. He retired to the farm after a stroke and brain surgery in 1952 left him an invalid and by August 1953 "he seemed very old and disenchanted".
He was 74 years old when he passed away in 1956.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 8, 2024
An enjoyable retelling of the events of “The Wind in the Willows” by the author of “Winnie the Pooh” in the form of a play. Some of the events are rather shortened and others are left out altogether, as would be necessary in any such adaptation. There are also extensive stage directions and a list of costume, scenery and props. It looks like it would make for an excellent play.
abandoned
October 31, 2022I didn't finish this because I could tell right away it wouldn't be right for me to produce as a middle school show. The language is just a little too old-fashioned and would inhibit line memorization and understanding. Probably a good play (my husband loves it), but just not what I need.
December 8, 2019
This 1920's stage adaptation for The Wind in the Willows, one of my absolute favourite books, is not a patch on the experience of reading the novel itself. However, it still serves as good, amiable fun, allowing the reader to revisit the wonderful characters - Mole, Rat, Toad and Badger (though unfortunately no Otter) - and experience at least part of the classic story in a slightly different way. Granted the humour - that is, the humour not credited to the original book - is very hit and miss; one cannot help but miss certain elements of Grahame's original story; and many of the iconic scenes are treated too swiftly. But the source material is just so enchanting that this at least serviceable adaptation is lifted to the realms of near greatness.
August 5, 2018
While I love A.A. Milne (for the Pooh books) and "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame, I didn't care for Milne's stage adaptation of the classic children's book. I realize there are limitations to reading a stage play vs. actually viewing the play. However, I think my favorite way to enjoy the adventures of Mole, Rat, Badger, and Toad is in its original prose format (though that 1995 animated movie version is also a lot of fun).
November 9, 2023
I loved this book. I love The Wind in the Willows and this brought those memories back. I found myself in the adventures of these animal friends. This is a play from of the classic novel and is a compliment to the original stories.
May 9, 2020
Wonderful story I can read over and over.
June 3, 2020
A lovely funny play with our favourite childhood characters.
July 18, 2022
Childhood memories flooding back 💜
April 24, 2024
What joy.
June 26, 2024
Quick retelling of Ken ETH Grahame's tale by none other than AA Milne. Very good. Funny.
Brings back memories of seeing it at the Old Vic 40+ years ago as a smol.
Brings back memories of seeing it at the Old Vic 40+ years ago as a smol.
August 20, 2016
I did enjoy it fairly well, but for me (reading it simply for enjoyment, rather than as one seeking to perform the play) it failed to serve any real purpose. It was Milne rewriting Grahame, and so in effect was neither one nor the other. I would rather read Milne's other plays, and I would rather read the original Wind in the Willows.
But then again, Milne does capture the spirit of Grahame and does his job well so far as it goes, and for people without the time to read the full novel this play might provide a useful retelling of it - especially for parents with good voice talents who had to ability to effectively read this play aloud to their children. I can't say that it is a play I would ever care to see performed though. The story is best suited to the imagination and lacks all the charm of the original when human actors take on the parts of the animals.
But then again, Milne does capture the spirit of Grahame and does his job well so far as it goes, and for people without the time to read the full novel this play might provide a useful retelling of it - especially for parents with good voice talents who had to ability to effectively read this play aloud to their children. I can't say that it is a play I would ever care to see performed though. The story is best suited to the imagination and lacks all the charm of the original when human actors take on the parts of the animals.
May 2, 2012
This book and the house at pooh corner started me on a real love affair with AA Milne. He really knows how to portray his characters in a humungously funny sarcastic way - i love it
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews