This is Illyria, Lady

Illyria , as well as being the country where Viola is shipwrecked in Twelfth Night, is also the name of one of the very best open-air touring theatre companies.

One of the actors I work with is currently touring as Toad in their production of The Wind in the Willows. It's part of my job to see our actors at work so I am always pleased when they tour to lovely places, and there can surely be none better than the grounds of Brantwood, the house at Coniston in the Lake District where the excellent John Ruskin lived.

Illyria must have one of the most punishing schedules of any touring company - it's all one-nighters with very few days off. Since we saw them in Coniston on Tuesday they have performed in Shrewsbury last night: tonight they're in Droitwich. When they finish they have, of course, to pack up all their set, props and costumes in the dark.

This company always, to me, seems to have just the right amount of set - just enough to be interesting and yet not so much that it dominates the play. Their actors are superb - dozens of costume changes, songs, musical instruments and many different characters without ever losing sight of the play and turning into "Look at us? Aren't we clever?" An excellent adaptation of the book, and very well directed too by Oliver Gray.

Of course, Coniston Water and the fells provided a beautiful backdrop for Toad, Ratty, Mole and the rest.The actress who played Mole (in red hat) also played Cinderella for Illyria: the production played, in total, to seventeen thousand people, one of whom was so impressed by her performance that he felt compelled to approach the actress afterwards to suggest that she should take up acting professionally - - -

That kind of thing happens because they make it look so easy.