REVIEW | Robin Hood, Greenwich Theatre
Reviewer - PENNY
Panto is back at Greenwich Theatre after the last two years have seen shows cancelled and runs curtailed due to the Covid pandemic. This year’s production has been written by regular Greenwich panto villain Anthony Spargo, who also takes on the role of the notorious Sheriff of Nottingham.
Robin Hood is performed by a small cast of eight, accompanied by a three-piece band, on a simple but well-designed set. It makes good use of sound and lighting to create an atmosphere – particularly effective in helping to build up the tension ahead of the entrance of the villainous Sheriff.
Spargo’s script is very well written, and appealing to audience members of all ages. As well as capitalising on the obvious link between a tyrannical leader setting high taxes for his peasants and the current cost of living crisis, there are topical references that include Matt Hancock’s time in the I’m a Celeb jungle and Gareth Southgate’s choices for his England team line-up in the World Cup. There is plenty to keep the adults chuckling while the children are delighted by more traditional cheesy panto humour – the jokes come thick and fast, all delivered with confidence by performers who are experts in sustaining the high-octane energy needed to keep the attention of even the youngest children. I particularly enjoyed scenes involving a lie detector and some fun wordplay around chocolate bars to tell the story – both clever devices to move the plot along. I also enjoyed the slow-motion frying pan fight, the actors’ faces were hilariously expressive throughout!
The musical numbers were a bit of a mixed bag for me, some felt perfectly placed while others fell a little flat. At times the band was a bit loud for the singers but generally, the simple choreography and relentless enthusiasm of the cast had everybody clapping along. There are some fine vocals on display and some genuinely poignant moments amidst the very well-organised chaos of the rest of the show.
David Breeds is perfectly cast as Robin Hood. From the very beginning of the show, he had impressive energy and enthusiasm, a charming presence and a strong, clear singing voice. He very quickly had a large audience on his side.
But, as important as our hero is, a good villain and a great dame are vital to any panto’s success. And this production of Robin Hood certainly does not disappoint.
The Sheriff is introduced as a wannabee rockstar, strutting around to a Queen medley with the sort of swagger Freddie Mercury would be proud of. In this role, Anthony Spargo is the star of the show. He has a devilish twinkle in his eyes and perfectly pitched villainy – the children loved to boo him but I can’t help but feel some of the adults were rooting for him to win! He’s an actor unafraid to camp it up to the max but laugh at himself whilst doing it, an outstanding performance in every way. As for his performance of an Oasis classic, suffice to say the adults in the audience were “mad fer it”.
As Little Joan the Dame, Phil Sealey is another master of the panto craft. From his very first entrance, he has the audience in the palm of his hand, sharing some risqué banter with the adults in the front rows, also delighting the children with Joan’s larger-than-life personality and fantastic comic timing. He’s also a great singer – injecting comedy and pathos into his musical numbers.
With such big characters in the Sheriff and Joan, it would be easy for the supporting roles of Maid Marian and Friar Tuck to be overlooked, but they still manage to make an impact.
Marian (Amy Bastani) is certainly no damsel in distress, she’s a woman on a mission to challenge the Sheriff and her excellent singing voice and dance moves fit this strong character very well. An absolute highlight of the show for me was when the Sheriff told her to “get back in the kitchen” which prompted an immediate and furious reaction from a tiny little girl in the second row, jumping to her feet and booing loudly! This Marian is clearly a great example for young feminists!
As Friar Tuck, Martin Johnston plays a gentle, lovestruck man with a sweet tooth. Although he may not have as many gags per minute as the rest of the cast, his powerful acting and singing adds some heart-warming emotional depth to the show.
Mutley the Dog (Louise Cielecki) is the Sheriff’s reluctant sidekick, played with plenty of winning canine charm. Cielecki’s rendition of Mr Cellophane is a rare still moment in the show, with no tricks or jokes but just relying on her performance, and it’s all the more powerful because of it, the audience is fully behind this accidental baddy.
The obligatory audience participation took a little while to get going but a “sing off” between Team Joan and Team Robin had everyone in the theatre giving their all, made all the more enjoyable by the chemistry between the two actors who were clearly having a great time facing off against each other.
With strong ensemble support from Sam Rowe and Millen Scrivener, Robin Hood is a great piece of family entertainment. Act One could perhaps do with a stronger ending and losing ten minutes of its running time as some of the younger children were clearly getting restless, and the resolution at the end of the second act felt a little rushed. However, these are minor quibbles as the audience was whooping and cheering with delight at the end of the show.
It’s fantastic to see that Greenwich Theatre’s panto is back with a bang!
Robin Hood runs until 8th January 2023 (Wednesday-Sunday). For dates, times and tickets, visit the Greenwich Theatre website.
*Disclaimer: AD | Gifted Tickets
