Robin Hood- the DEB Hall, Guild of Students, University of Birmingham

Robin Hood- Saturday 17^th November, the Guild Deb Hall

Last Saturday night saw the Guild’s Deb Hall transformed into Sherwood Forest, with garlands of ivy suspended from the ceiling. A dramatic crackle of lightning heralded the grand entrance, not of the eponymous bandit himself, but of Marion, dressed in combat boots and a camo-jacket. Engaging the audience with a task to help save Nottingham, Marion set the tone for what proved to be a traditionally embellished pantomime, with a refreshingly non-traditional plot line.

The civilians of Nottingham are impoverished by the corrupt regimes of their hegemonic Sheriff, who greets the audience sporting a devilish goatee and leather clothing. Their only hope lies with Robin Hood, the town’s con-man masquerading as a hero, constantly surrounded by his bumbling band of merry men. However, imprisoned within the Sherriff’s castle and desperate to join the resistance is Marion, the real driving force of the movement. Teaming up with Robin Hood and guided by the magical Fairy Fifi, she vows to bring an end to the Sherriff’s tyrannical rule.

The performance showcased impressive sound effects, creative props and re-worked musical hits, with a bit of everything- from ABBA to Les Misérables. A noticeable feature was the skill of the chorus, with minor characters taking on multiple roles with a consistent level of wit and entertainment. From the uproarious fish seller, to the Priest with a serious rhotacism issue, each cameo role added something to the pantomime and provided a solid foundation for the show’s success.

Early on, we met the show’s protagonist, portrayed by Holly Watson as a clueless yet loveable rogue. She was the perfect combination of courageous, yet unassuming and was never far from her band of merry men, including her best mate Much. Gabriel Hawking took on the role of the typical “Buttons-esque” panto character, delving into the audience to drum up participation, and encouraging the response of “Not much, Much” when asked- ‘What’s up?’. However, Gabriel was certainly not the only band-member to induce laughs, with Hattie Pinches’ portrayal of Friar Tuck leaving the audience in stitches whenever she was on stage. The combination of her remarkably Priest-like intonation, reverend facial expressions and constant snacking was a huge source of entertainment. Watching Hattie shove an entire chocolate bar into her mouth on stage (wrapper and all) and then try to maintain composure, was a definite highlight for me.

Of course, every pantomime must have a good villain and Theo Byrne certainly lived up to expectations. With a Bond-villain-esque British accent, complete with the perfect evil laugh, Theo created a real stage presence of wickedness- accompanied by his two idiotic stooges, Stench and Rot. Clad in high-waisted trousers, plaid shirts and ridiculous Policeman helmets, the pair were hilarious before they had even opened their mouths.

The infamous role of the pantomime dame was filled by Emily Mackinnon, showcasing a beautiful singing voice, as well as entertaining the audience with cheeky innuendos. Playing Nanny Nora, the castles’ live-in nurse, she was able to introduce the audience to her daughter Eleanor, a timid, deaf character played by Emily Harle. It was truly impressive to witness the expert sign language that Emily learnt for the part, as well as the emotions she was able to portray with no words spoken. It was a credit to the production team for giving vital representation to a deaf character in this way and being able to incorporate this as a central part of a show.

Beyond this, amongst all the jokes, the musical numbers and the general bravado that I guess I had expected from a pantomime, there was one thing that I really wasn’t expecting. Marion, it was clear from the start, was not in love with her fairytale-approved match Robin Hood, but with Eleanor, her childhood companion. This was most prominent through Katie Payne’s beautiful performance of Little Mix’s ‘Secret Love Song’, dedicated to Eleanor and forming the most powerful moment of the show. Including this plot-line transformed the show from what was already a pretty decent pantomime, into a greatly compelling and relevant production. Katie made the perfect heroine, portraying just the right amount of bravery and satire, without being overtly self-righteous. (Having said that, I think every female in the audience probably gave an internal whoop when it was Marion who was declared the next Sherriff of Nottingham.)

Unfortunately, there were occasions in which the cast didn’t allow enough of a pause for audience laughter and as a result some dialogue was missed beneath the noise of the crowd. During the musical numbers, the main singers used hand-held microphones in order to be heard, which did create an odd sort of karaoke effect, (although this perhaps may have been in-keeping with the witty nature of a pantomime.) However, in general, the performance was highly entertaining, with a unique plot twist that made it stand out for me as a captivating production that pantosoc should be really proud of. It was also the first time that I had seen a rap battle as part of a pantomime, which was certainly an amusing experience.