Robin Hood, this year’s family pantomime at the Salisbury Playhouse is a sparkling, dazzling energetic production.
The backstage team has created a slick, highly professional evening: Andrew Pollard’s clever script with the usual puns and asides to amuse all ages: James Button’s sets and costume designs take us into the glittery, brightly coloured world of Sherwood Forest and diamond encrusted castles: Nicky Griffiths’s choreography has all the actors dancing and leaping effortlessly through the evening.
Giovanni Spano as Robin Hood
West End star Giovanni Spano (X Factor, ITV) is a chirpy, impish Robin Hood leading his merry gang to bring down the evil sheriff. Giovanni plays the romantic hero well as he tries to save Maid Marion from the clutches of the sheriff. Alice Stokoe as Maid Marion is excellent as an assertive woman of the world, complemented by Lauren Azania who plays Allan A’Dale, a woman in disguise. The only pity was, in this PC world, that Robin didn’t actually have a woman as part of his team.
Greg Barnett (The Duchess of Malfi, RSC) as the Sheriff of Nottingham steals the show, and he terrorises the villagers and threatens Maid Marion with marriage. His performance is wonderfully confident, camp and viciously evil. Bernadette Bangura plays the doting side-kick, Consuela, forever tying to upstage her rival Maid Marion.
Adrian Grove as Dame Nora Virus
It is a big thing taking on the role of the dame, Adrian Grove (The Night Before Christmas) is hugely successful as Nurse Nora Virus, carrying off the outrageously colourful costumes and wigs with great aplomb.
Leonard Cook as Friar Tuck plays the comforting, clownish cook of the forest, the scene when he and Nurse Nora Virus fall in love is expertly played and has the children in hysterics as ghosts dodge around the stage.
There is a visit of an impressively-designed Cuddly the Dragon: it was a pity that Cuddly did not have a larger part to play.
The cast is supported by a very professional chorus of two groups of children (The Red Arrows and The Blue Bows), playing peasants one minute then expertly jumping round the stage as frogs.
The cast is energetic and full of enthusiasm, belting out every song with great gusto, sweeping the audience of all ages along with them. The audience leaves the evening buzzing, already looking forward to next year’s pantomime – the all-time favourite, Cinderella.
Ticket Sales on 01722 320333 or by visiting www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk.
Robin Hoods runs until Sunday, January 12.
Cinderella runs from November 28, 2020 – January 10 2021
Photographs: The Other Richard