THE highly anticipated major new musical version of The Wind in the Willows arrives in Southampton next week.

Created by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and Olivier Award-winning composer and lyricist duo George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, the production is at Mayflower Theatre from Thursday until November 20, prior to opening in London’s West End.

The show stars Rufus Hound as the anarchic Toad, award-winning actor David Birrell as Badger, Irish actor and singer Fra Fee as Mole, Downton Abbey’s Thomas Howes as Ratty, EastEnders and Shrek star Neil McDermott as Chief Weasel and Sophia Nomvete as Mrs Otter.

Julian Fellowes told the Daily Echo: "When (producer) Jamie Hendry came to me, I felt the time was right for a new version as a musical with new music. They'd already hired George Stiles and Anthony Drewe to write the lyrics and we'd had quite a bit of success with Mary Poppins a few years ago, so we found the idea of reuniting appealed.

"I also liked the idea of working on an iconic book that everyone's heard of. It was certainly part of my childhood, I had it read to me in the bath! I love the story because of the theme of friendship if explores."

Rufus Hound added that rehearsing his part of Toad has been " a real joy", explaining: "I have high hopes for this production. I always loved the book and it was very special to me. What's thrilling and terrifying is the number of people who have been falling over themselves to say how important it's been to them too and they want to bring their kids to it. It's a big responsibility to get it right and it's important to me and thrilling because it feels like we are going to get there. It feels like a faithful, warm, pleasurable, exciting, harmonious production. It doesn't feel like work. As they say 'If you do a job you love you will never do a day's work' !...I feel as enthralled, pleased and satisfied as I could possibly feel."

Tickets: 023 8071 1811 or mayflower.org.uk