Little Red Robin Hood
★★★☆☆ Clever
Augustine United Church: Wed 27 Nov – Sun 1 Dec
Review by Allan Wilson
Little Red Robin Hood from Happy Sad Productions is a clever mash-up of Little Red Riding Hood, Robin Hood, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears, with elements of other pantos thrown in for good measure.
Here are heroes, villains, lots of songs, good jokes, bad jokes, audience involvement and a happy ending – in short, everything you would expect from a good pantomime.
Fionn Cameron as Wee Willy Winky. Pic: Roza Stevenson
Wee Willie Winkie, engagingly played by Fionn Cameron, is our narrator for the evening, introducing the main characters, with the help of very effective shadows projected onto a screen at the back of the stage.
A doomed romance leads to the birth of twin sisters who are separated at birth and brought up in different families. Little Red is brought up in Naughtyham town by three pigs, the Swine sisters. Maggie Goodall plays Little Red with the typical confidence of a leading lady, as she tries to support herself (and others) by ‘stealing from the greedy to give to the needy’.
The Swine sisters try to run a chaotic, messy bakery, but a reluctance to follow a recipe leads to an unappetising sticky toffee pudding made with sticks. The sisters, played by Calum Philp, James Phillips and James Sharp, are constantly arguing and leaving Little Red to clear up their mess, so it is no surprise to see her desire to find a better life.
conflicted
Meanwhile, Goldilocks grows up with three cruel bears in Sharewood Forest. Cosette Bolt’s Goldilocks seems less confident than her estranged sister, conflicted between feelings of gratitude towards the bears (Amber Docherty, Iona Wood and Teddy Bear) for supporting her – and concerns over their behaviour.
James Sharp as Brickney, James Phillips as Jesticka and Calum Philp as Strawzalyn with Fionn Cameron and Cosette Bolt. Pic: Roza Stevenson.
Of course there is a baddy. Enter Sheriff Wolf, played with evil relish by Marc Robertson, milking the audience for boos as he runs a corrupt regime in Naughtyham, increasing taxes for the slightest misdemeanour.
When Goldilocks and Little Red finally meet and realise they are sisters, they become determined to improve their situation and eventually lead a democratic uprising against the Sheriff.
love and imagination
Little Red Robin Hood has clearly been a labour of love and imagination for co-writers, Amber Docherty and Roza Stevenson. Stevenson also directed the show and created the artwork, while Docherty was assistant director and played the parts of Bearnard and Baby Bear. It is not easy to run a show with up to nine characters on a small stage, but Stevenson and Docherty make a commendable effort to produce a show with lots of energy.
Cosette Bolt as Goldilocks and Maggie Goodall as Little Red. Pic: Roza Stevenson.
Musical Director Josh Wood has put together a score full of well-chosen variety, ranging from Taylor Swift to The Muppets and even fitting in My Way as part of a confessional piece for Sheriff Wolf at the end of the show.
The original material included does not feel out of place. Oliver Payn’s music and sound is generally excellent, though the recorded soundtrack occasionally comes close to drowning out the voices of some of the singers. Ellis Allan make good use of the lighting facilities, particularly with the shadow projections.
audacity
There is much to enjoy in Little Red Robin Hood, particularly the audacity to take elements from several pantomimes and combine them into something new. However, there are times when the focus on creating an energetic performance takes away some of the breathing space needed for a truly engaging show.
Running time: One hour (no interval)
Augustine United Church (Studio), 41 George IV Bridge, EH1 1EL
Wed 27 Nov – Sun 1 Dec 2024.
Wed, Fri-Sun: 7.30pm; Sat Mat: 2.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Marc Robertson as Sheriff Wolf and Cosette Bolt as Goldilocks with Baby Bear. Pic: Roza Stevenson.
ENDS
