Rating: ★★★★
Venue: Harlow Playhouse
Cast: Joe Churms, Lacey Creed, Katherine Hickmott, Rob Stevens, Ben Parsley, Terry Burns, Fanny Galore, Brandon Thompson and Federico Bianchetti
From the magical team who brought you last year’s smash-hit The Wizard of Oz, comes a brand new laugh-out-loud, egg-stravagant Easter adventure for the whole family! Join Robin Hood and his band of Merry Folk as they outwit the wicked Sheriff of Rottingham, save the townsfolk, and help our hero win the hand of the fair Maid Marion – all in true panto style!
Here at Stage to Page, we've been a fan of the Christmas pantomime at Harlow Playhouse for several years now, so when we were invited to see their Easter pantomime...it seemed like an egg-cellent opportunity to make a return visit. Opening on the Friday 27th March until 2nd April, Robin Hood is only making a fleeting visit through Harlow this Easter, but it's more than worthy of an Easter treat this half-term. It goes without saying that KD Theatre Productions and Harlow Playhouse have done it again...oh yes they have!
Robin Hood isn't a pantomime I've seen onstage before and I wondered how well the story would translate; particularly to a younger audience. Besides Little Joan (not John!), I did find the characters and the plot quite one-dimensional, and not a story I think most children would find engaging. However, the script and the cast make up entirely for what the story lacks.
Daniel Bell and Ben Parsley's writing often pushes boundaries, but the script this time around was far more adult-focused, which was brilliant for someone like myself. The audience's laughter filled the theatre and the script was oozing with the wit and chaos a pantomime needs. However, I would have loved to have seen just a little more silliness for the younger ones. One aspect I really valued in the script was the inclusion. From the gender swap of Little John to Little Joan, and Robin Hood's usual merry "men", now being his merryfolk, was a subtle but brilliant adaptation. And the script is sprinkled with some wickedly current one-liners such as, "the law is the law...unless you're Donald Trump".
Ben Parsley, like every pantomime, is the star of the show, earning the biggest laughs, the loudest cheers and rightfully so. Another stand out was Fanny Galore, as the Spirit of the Forest. As the name suggests, Fanny delivers most of the adult innuendos...which aren't quite as hidden this time round! Joe Churms is utterly charming as the panto's lead and provides smooth and crystal clear vocals. A special mention must also go to ensemble members Brandon Thompson and Federico Bianchetti who are the unsung heroes of the production and appear in almost every scene.
As a huge musical theatre fan, the music is always a leading contributor to how much I enjoy a pantomime and Robin Hood was packed full of current pop music and music theatre classics. The highlights came from the act one finale of "Save the Day" (Seize the Day - Newsies) and The Sheriff of Rottingham's "Sweet Sweet Sheriff" (Sweet Transvestite - Rocky Horror Picture Show). Other standouts were Olivia Dean's "Man I Need" sang by Katherine Hickmott and RAYE's "Where is My Husband?" sang by Fanny Galore.
Auntie Dolly's (Rob Stevens) outfits progressively got more and more outrageous as the show progressed and props to James Maciver Costumes & KD Theatre for creating such an incredible array of costumes for such a short run. While Fanny Galore's costumes from Barbara Hollingum were exquisitely made and beautiful to look at, there were a few malfunctions with her costumes; even leading to her missing part of a segment while she quite literally held her own costume together.
One thing's for sure, Harlow Playhouse never disappoint with their pantomimes...and this Easter is no different. Witty, inclusive, ridiculously funny and most importantly, a great few hours out with the family this half-term.
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