Review: IN THE WILLOWS Studio Cast EP, Metta Theatre & Perfect Pitch

One of the UK’s leading production companies devoted to musical theatre, Metta Theatre, has collaborated with Perfect Pitch to bring us In the Willows; a show that previously toured in 2019 and has been given a shiny new upgrade to hip-hop musical. 

Released on Spotify, iTunes and other digital media platforms on 1 February 2021, the 6-track album is upbeat, catchy and well delivered. 

I’m not sure that Kenneth Grahame imagined his classic The Wind in the Willows story as a hip-hop musical, but that is exactly what has been delivered by P Burton Morton (writer and director), award-winning composer Pippa Cleary (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole) and hip-hop composer Keiran Merrick.

The soundtrack opens with ‘Easy Life’, which is exactly what you would expect from the hip-hop genre with its dance-worthy beat and lyrics; a brilliant start to the EP. Not all of the songs are performed at this tempo however; there are some slower tracks, with ‘Between You and Me’ being a good example of this.

The soundtrack has been described as The Wind in the Willows meets Hamilton, but personally I feel the pace and sound of the album has much more of a SIX vibe with the contrasting pace of songs. 

If you are familiar with the story of The Wind in the Willows, this is an interesting twist on the well-known tale and although it follows the basic storyline of the original, there is much more emphasis placed on the character of Mole.  In this iteration, Mole is played by Hiba Elchikhe who has a lovely ballad in ‘Walk into the Fire’, showing off her stunning vocals. 

The cast featured on this album are the aforementioned Elchikhe (Aladdin) as Mole;  Sharon Rose (Hamilton) as Rattie, Harry Jardine (In the Willows tour) as Toad, Tim Mahendran (& Juliet) as Otter and the wonderful Clive Rowe (Tracy Beaker, Sister Act) as Mr Badger. 

Clive Rowe was always in my childhood growing up in Tracy Beaker and now I am thoroughly enjoying discovering his forays in musical theatre. He lends his voice to the final song ‘Oh Child’, which is incredibly striking and the star of the album for me. It has already been added to my ever-growing musical theatre playlist! 

This soundtrack is extremely promising and it is definitely worth heading over to Spotify or iTunes to have a listen. I am excited to see the musical on stage once the theatres get back up and running again.

****’ Four and a half stars

Reviewed by: Emma Littler