Robin Hood and Babes in the Wood

Robin Hood and Babes in the Wood was my second pantomime performed by Jigsaw Players Theatre Company. Like their performance last year, the show contained many of the required ingredients of a traditional pantomime and was a delight for the audience to watch.

Maggie Bishton as director of the show needs to be congratulated on her direction of this inclusive community-based group who perform on a small stage having to make full use of the area in front of the audience on floor level.

The programme showed Maggie had worked with different teams and had shared out many of the leading roles creating opportunities for more people to be involved. On the evening we attended we saw ‘Team Arrows’.

Holly Lovell gave a sterling performance as our hero Robin the Hood known as Robin Hood, she delivered the lines with clarity and sang ‘I can go the Distance’ well. Maid Marian was creditably played by Olivia Brown.

Sarah Townsend connected well with the audience as panto dame Nurse Nellie Nickerlastic who played the role with conviction as she protected the babes. The babes Sam and Ella (salmonella) on the evening we attended were played with confidence by Tom Townsend and Evie Stanton.

Our baddie as expected in this tale was of course the Sheriff of Nottingham. Played with feeling by Mike Richter who encouraged and revelled in the boos throughout. His henchmen Snivel and Grovel otherwise known as Harrison Daley and Sheridan Dorgan both gave commanding performances getting most things wrong. 

Many of the main characters were involved in the school room scene where the jokes were ones we have all heard numerous times in pantoland. However, they were delivered with confidence and speed and therefore the scene flowed well with the pace needed. The ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ was also delivered at the speed required. 

Other characters need to be congratulated for their enthusiasm including a realistic Friar Tuck played by Keith Lovell and an energetic Jacob Finch as Little John along with Luke Middleton as Much, Alex Ingram as Will Scarlet and Claire Dealaselle as Alana. Other roles were played by Hannah Denby as Poet, Emily Davis as Kings Messenger, Keelan Pavitt as Sir Guy of Gisbourne and Emily Denby who sang a nice solo.  

Again, like last year the chorus was large in number and included children as young as six years old. Despite their young age and only their second performance they knew the songs and the choreography well. The ‘panto dancers’ namely Ella Adamson, Brooke Copson-Godwin, Holly Elliott, Leah Smith, Lauren Wollaston and Amelia Deakin provided some well-rehearsed routines throughout the show – well done to all in the chorus as villagers as well as the dancers. 

Costumes were of a good quality not only for the main characters but for the whole cast. In addition, the makeup was suitable for each character. 

The props were excellent, items such as a realistic safe, the wanted poster, TNT detonator and the printed upstanding bed – very clever idea for the ghost scene.

The lighting and sound quality was good and added to the overall performance. 

When attending a production by Jigsaw players it is a pleasure to be invited to meet the cast back stage after the final curtain. The enthusiasm and team feeling was evident while back stage and it is great to be able to congratulate everyone.  
Well done to you all and I look forward to pantomime 2019 but in the meantime, we have the ever popular ‘The Sound of Music’ in March.
 

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