Robin Hood

It is almost unique in amdram that the author of the piece is also the stage director. Jane Maisey - for it was she - deserves huge praise for both these achievements. Her script was amongst the best I have ever read in amateur pantomime.  It was full of adult rib-ticklers and comic business for all ages. Unusually these days, it included a slosh scene - for me, an essential component of all panto. A great deal of planning, forethought and attention to detail was evident and the show was much the better in consequence.

With the strongest and deepest principal cast I have seen this year (and well beyond) all the necessary ingredients were in place for a top quality performance.    And my, how they delivered!    I particularly relished the way that every principal character was accorded time and opportunity to deeply embed their own foibles and quirks into the whole piece, whilst never interrupting the vital teamwork that was so clear to all. Will Scarlet, in the considerable stage presence of Ziggi Szafranski camped brilliantly and clearly relished his rewarding role. Peter Calver as the Dame, Rosie Dumplings, complete with stunning costume change at each entrance - the mark of a true professional Panto - was an imposing and warm-hearted tsunami sweeping all before him with his sheer personality.        

Mike Saunders in the title role was also a magnificent lead, a dashing hero type, yet always with a bravado just the right side of self parody. Accepted at face value by the kids but with so many other "shades of grey" for the adults. Nice one Mike!

Charlotte Faulkes played Maid Marion "lusting" after Robin - in tights, together with all the other Merrie Men (save Will Scarlet, who wore more outrageous costumes still and Friar Tuck himself, played, as ever, in  masterful style by David Morgan). Charlotte was a vibrant, charismatic, distinctly man liking "Maid" Marion.   Tom Lilley as the minstrel sang nicely, with personality too.  Amanda Stronge was a powerfully played Maid Marion's Maid Maude, whilst Sophie Moss, Gemma Ward and Beckie Wilkes did well as Maid Marion's Maid Maude's Maids (an alliterative delight, courtesy of the author).   Little John, beautifully played by Laura Brand challenged Robin to a duel not with a wooden stave but with rock, paper scissors. What else could we have expected in this innovative and peerless Panto!   Chris Bassett is becoming almost typecast in "idiot" roles, as here when playing Nic. Chris has become the Bank of England choice when casting these roles. Shannen Knutsen with outsized sword was the larger than life Lady of the Lake. When you can cast someone like Mike MacKenzie - talented enough fairly recently to delight as Tevye - in the minor role of King, then it is clear this cast, all of it is a golden nugget indeed.

The redoubtable Bob Wilson, a suave and lounge lizard type of "baddie" as the Sheriff of Nottingham, was the obvious choice to play the evil role. He was aided by a "mechanical" effect of his evil laugh and by  Nonny and Nonnie, his two incompetent  dimwit henchmen, both given humorous life by Penny Brown and Bruce Christie respectively.             

Several cute children, namely Tom Prebble/Tom O'Reilly, Beth Blundell/Eva Foxwell and two junior chorus teams sharing the panto run as Mini Robin and Mini Marion in Team Robin and Team Marion added their collective young charm. A strong chorus of Merrie Men (in tights), able and youthful, real dancers and vibrant female chorus completed the most deeply talented panto cast I have seen since becoming a NODA rep.

The music under Musical Director Andy Rapps was well chosen, mostly upbeat and sung and played to a standard far beyond what one would expect of an amateur panto.  A four person band managed to play, in all, seven instruments Frankly, to describe this production as amateur is to greatly mislead.

Choreography under the inspirational Catherine Blundell was also top class.

Costumes courtesy of Karen Durrell, Mike MacKenzie and Caroline Harrison were colourful, well fitted, appropriate and impressive. A Dame wearing different costumes for every entrance is very rarely found outside professional panto and not that common even then. It happened here though and in the still young Peter Calver, Oxted have surely found their Dame for years to come.

Some superbly effective wigs and make up were provided by the assured eye of Stephanie Hornett-Johnson, assissted by Natalie Bassett and Beckie Wilkes.

Sound provided by John Chinnock was very surely handled, the Sheriff's "mechanical" evil laugh being a good running gag. Lighting designed by Ben Morrison and operated by Richard Grogan was also top class.

The set was designed by Malcolm le Croisette, who also stage managed, and by Jane Maisey and painted by Patrick Tricker.

There were so many very many wonderfully humorous scenes and lines that they are impossible to mention in this space, but one will remain long in my memory. It was spoken by Will Scarlet, answering his mobile 'phone and ran thus "Oh, I'm at the Panto, no, it's rubbish."   Oh no it wasn't, Ziggi, Oh no it wasn't!

What it was, was a memorable evening that has raised the bar of what is technically but ludicrously called "amateur" panto to a height that I have yet to see even approached, let alone equalled.

TOPS, I salute you and thank you all for an immensely enjoyable and memorable evening.   OH YES IT WAS!

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