Robin Hood and His Merry Men

Manor Operatic Society (MOS) Pantomimes are simply ‘something else’.  The scale and spectacle of the production has to be seen to be believed, it really is just staggering.  With a cast of over fifty people on stage, each one looking stunning in their many costume changes, a fabulous set, sound, light and brilliant pyrotechnics there is always something to look at and to be amazed by.

We are welcomed to the pantomime by the whole company and the upbeat number sets the pace for the show.  The talented cast are supported by a 10 piece band (who I could see joining in with all the audience retorts and having fun even though they have already seen the show a dozen times).  The work of Musical Director Andy Collis is well represented in the numerous production numbers.  The choice of songs is eclectic and enjoyable with a mix of old favourites, up to date chart hits and musical theatre numbers.  The final three numbers of Act One led by Emily Mae Hoyland as The Witch and Simon Hance as The Sheriff of Nottingham really stood out and left the audience waiting for more.  The Ensemble showed great energy and even though it’s probably easy to ‘get lost’ on the City Hall stage every member of the company maintained their character throughout. 

The performance talents of the Dance Team are among the many strengths of this production.  Dance Captain Evie May Bradford had supported Linda Kelly (Director/Choreographer) with some of the numbers, all of which showed the incredible versatility of the Team.  Including a tap number and the acrobatics really added to the show and many congratulations to these young performers for dancing fabulously, smiling beautifully and managing some very fast costume changes.

Changes to some of the usual roles saw Emily McGeoch play Fairy Tuck.  However, not the usual fairy… In this case she was wielding a huge ham and with balding hairstyle McGeoch gave an hilarious performance,  in rhyme and very much in time with Gary Rossiter playing her side-kick, Alan-a-Dale.  Both were larger than life characters and perfect for this pantomime.   Adding to the humour were Matt Brighton and Ben Rossiter as the comedy duo Bow and Arrow.    Wonderful physicality and comic timing – we loved the invisible horses!  There was more hilarity from Stuart-Daniel Box as Little Willy, whose energy was infectious.  A double dose of evil abounded in this production with Emily Mae Hoyland as The Witch and Simon Hance as The Sheriff of Nottingham.  Both were wickedly horrid and over the top in all the best ways.  Hoyland, making a shift from her usual panto roles, really excelled as the stunning Witch - both on screen and on stage.

There were some great cameos from Leo Appleton (King Richard), Kristina Sawyer (Juliet), Daisy Cook (Little Joan) along with all the Merry Men and Marian’s entourage.  Men in Tights and Somebody to Love were both very well performed and again showed just how many talented performers are members of MOS.  The hero is of course Robin Hood and Dylan Lambert made an excellent job of ‘riding through the glen’ to rescue his love interest Maid Marian, beautifully played by Katie Ann Dolling.  This couple work so well together with added humour, strong singing voices and great chemistry. There was no whimpering,  just strong determination and great talent so the audience had no choice but to be on the side of good. 

Panto Dames are interesting characters – are they born or are they created?  MOS have certainly unleashed a new talent onto the stage in the form of Chris Hanlon making his Dame debut as Nurse Fanny Scarlett.  Having played the comedy role for several years Hanlon has had the opportunity to learn from some of the masters of the art and he has certainly been taking notes!  He was the perfect combination of funny, slightly crude, loveable and most importantly played it as a ‘man in a frock’.  Hanlon pulled this off excellently – Fanny’s costumes were outstanding (credit Molly Limpet’s Theatrical Emporium) and he looked totally at home in them.  An outstanding debut as Dame with great audience interaction and wonderful ad libs.

The recipe for a Manor Panto has to include dough, the bucket game, audience participation, spectacle and engagement along with the secret ingredient (which Manor should bottle and retail) which is that they give their audience EXACTLY what they want.  They please the thousands of people who see the production because, despite the other 2,000 people in the room, each audience member feels like it has been created just for them.  There is a buzz from the moment you enter City Hall – Before the show I followed a small girl (aged 6?) in through the corridor and she was singing the well-known and much loved audience participation number ‘Tiddly Winky Woo’ – I asked her mum if she’d already seen the show this season “Oh no,  she remembers it from last year and can’t wait to sing it again”.   Watching and waiting for your favourite moment in the show is part of the fun, but with so many traditional and expected elements, MOS still manage to ensure that each production is new and doesn’t appear formulaic – they even had a Barbie box on stage this year.  Local references litter the narrative and the full-on, high-energy performances from the cast carry the audience away into the wonderful world of pantomime.  There really is something for everyone in this production.  MOS have the perfect recipe for the perfect show for their audience and I can’t wait until I am singing along to “It’s Baking Time” next year.

Congratulations to Director/Producer, Richard Bradford and all the Production Team, Cast and Crew for another excellent evening with our favourite Panto Heroes.

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