Robin Hood

MNMT never fail to impress with their annual pantomime presentation and “Robin Hood” was no exception.  In fact, it is difficult to know where to start with the praise that is richly due for this outstanding example of amateur theatre. 

Let me start with the script, written by Scott Garnham, a former member of the Society and who is now appearing in the West End production of “Made in Dagenham”, this was his first attempt and I have to admit that I was slightly apprehensive.  Home-grown scripts can sometimes be insular, but that was not the case here.  Mr Garnham had taken all the elements of this well-known legend and developed it into a fresh and fun tale, at the same time weaving in all the usual pantomime set pieces and choosing and adapting songs and music which perfectly suited the flow of the production.  Add in the fact that he was familiar with his potential cast members and he provided a script which ideally suited each and every member on stage. 

Next the direction.  There was some fantastic touches which elevated the show beyond the usual, for example Robin and his Band of Merry Men, ten principal boys all thigh slapping in sync, the inclusion of multimedia sections, which enhanced the overall presentation, and finally the casting which ensured a strong overall ensemble.

A charming Robin (Paula Cook) coupled a delightful Marion (Ria Williams), and their relationship blossomed beautifully through the show.  A secure Dame Nelly (Mark Boler) showed pace and prowess and she was ably supported by her ever faithful side kick in the shape of Will Scarlett (Ben Greenhough) - this young man is evolving into the quintessential pantomime fool, developing his skills year on year.  On the “dark side” there was a suitably snide yet snivelling Sherriff (Adam Hymas) – who even had the audacity to flirt with his NODA Rep on the front row! – superbly supported by Terroessa the Wicked (Margaret Lukey), and his two henchmen in the guise of Brian Tuck (Neil Paylor) and Little John (Finn Dalton), a pair who worked very well together.  Add in the ethereal spirit of the forest, Willow (Matthew Hodsman), confident and well-rehearsed junior principals Jack (Sam Peircy) and Jill (Mollie Robinson) (two other pairs shared the role throughout the run) and star of small screen Bunty Biffin (Ben Papworth) and the legend of Robin Hood was retold effortlessly to an enthusiastic and supportive audience.

Then the music.  As mentioned before the selections were cleverly chosen to work with the script, and it was a case of spot the musical from which they were lifted and adapted. All the musical numbers were well sung by either soloists or the ensemble chorus, supported, as ever, by the small combo Organ, Piano and Drums with some added backing tracks for good measure!

And let’s not forget the choreography, which was performed by the society chorus together with the support of Senior and Junior Dancers from Kirkham Henry Performing Arts.  Exact, controlled and excellently executed, the dance numbers further enhanced the overall enjoyment of this wonderful show.

Finally, all the technical aspects. A wonderfully simple yet intricately decorated set enabled the show to flow seamlessly from one scene to another.  The talking trees were a delight, the drop down floor in Nelly’s School House ensured the exuberance of the soap making was well contained and the small touches of faces in the forest backdrop were duly noted by the reviewer.  The lighting and effects complemented the overall presentation and whilst the sound balance wasn’t always ideal, it was probably more to do with where the reviewer was sat rather than an issue for the venue as a whole.  The costumes were bold and beautiful, exactly as expected for such a lavish production.

This was clearly a team effort and all the hard work of rehearsals resulted in a first class performance.  Many, many congratulations. 

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