“Robin Hood and the Christmas Heist was magnificent evening of splendour, humour and hope for all.”
Welcome to a magical and magnificent evening of splendour, humour and hope for all. We are taken back to Nottingham and the traditional setting of Sherwood forest. Marian and Robin have long left the castle and there’s a new Sheriff in town that goes my the name of Nicholas. Through the years Robin and Marian have clearly been taking care of all the forgotten children, as their parents have either been taken to war by King Richard over his continued crusades or made to work for the Sheriff in his castle. Robin, Marian and the children are currently living in the woods of Sherwood forest without a penny to their name, the children are hungry, cold and afraid. Robin’s hunting trips are proving unsuccessful but opportunity arises as Prince John and the Lords and Ladies of London are traveling north to visit the castle. A heist is on the Christmas cards.
As the show opens with music and light there’s an immediate uplifting feeling that filters through the audience, and we all know we are about to experience something very special. The cast consisted of four adults and a group of young actors, that were quite frankly the stars of the show. Their level of talent blew me away, not only were they all terrific at embodying their characters but they were triple threats, able to sing, dance and act to a remarkable level. I honestly believe some of the younger ones already have the potential to hold their own on the West End performing in musicals such as Matilda. The amount of sass they each had when playing the roles of the Lords and Ladies was exquisite. Many of the performers were asked to play multiple roles and their ability to rapidly switch from one character to the next with consummate ease, showing up as a poor, worldly child in the woods one moment, to portraying rich, shallow lords and ladies wondering through the castle in the next. Their dance skills were at a level I honestly did not expect from such young performers and the level of connection displayed with each other on stage was quite extraordinary. From their strength and fluidity throughout the choreography, to their impeccable timing and energy that they delivered to the audience was something quite astounding. Throughout the intricate dance pieces the young talents were also singing harmonies, and singing well I might add. As a performer myself I promise you this is no easy feet but somehow these young artists made it seem effortless. I would love to have the contact details for their singing coach please…
Robin Hood was played by Matthew Ganely of Emmerdale fame. He portrayed Robin as a heroic and self sacrificing individual and this seemed to come across with the children’s admiration of the character. A highlight of his performance was when Robin went undercover as an arrogant and demanding nobleman who convinced the Sheriff that his job was at risk. I loved how brash and flamboyant in nature Matthew was at this point in the production, this feather to his bow was truly enjoyable and a memorable moment for me within the show. Maid Marian was portrayed by Emma Manton whose credits include Doctors and Silent Witness. She gave her character a sense of grit and determination whilst also caring for the Children of Sherwood with a motherly nature. Emma gave Maid Marian a real sense of bravery in the face of confrontation with the Sheriff, leaving the audience confident that she and Robin will eventually save the day. There was also a character called Much, played by Jodie Cuaresma. This character linked several scenes together, and played the guitar to accompany a number of the musical interludes. Jodie is a very talented singer and an accomplished guitarist, her skillset in both aspects of her performance shone throughout. Finally, we reach Mr. Big Boots himself Andrew Whitehead who gave a spectacular, energetic and convincing performance as the Sheriff of Nottingham. He thoroughly commanded the stage with great presence and charisma, with an incredible amount of chemistry between himself and the younger performers. It came across as though there had been great humour throughout the rehearsals and this was continuing into the joy of the production. All four guided and supported their young costars with great care resulting in a final product that could warm the heart of any observer.
I would like to give particular credit to the director Elin Schofield and choreographer Olivia Shouler. It was clear to see how much work these two individuals have both put into this production. Elin had thought of every tiny detail to bring this show to life. She clearly worked closely with both the younger and older generation of actors to help them deliver a convincing performance and her staging of the characters was on point for the entire show. The whole cast continuously stayed character even when they didn’t have a line to deliver, I have a feeling credit is due to Elin on this front as I’m sure she made the cast aware that if they can see the us, the audience, the audience can see them. This ensured there was never a dull moment in the theatre. Olivia Shouler is one talented choreographer. Jazz and contemporary were the main two dance styles brought to this production. I found Olivia had a modern and unique flair to her choreography. Each piece thoroughly complimented the accompanying song. I was really impressed with her skills and how she has managed to train these young individuals to such a high level. As mentioned above their precision, performance and strength was remarkable and I’m sure some of this credit goes to Olivia. I hope to witness more choreography from Olivia in the near future.
Lastly, In my honest opinion the only one negative would be that the young performers truly outshone the elder ones in this production. Maybe the children can help the adults raise the bar for next years festive performance. However, I highly recommend seeing this show this Christmas season as you will experience something so wholesome and frankly quite moving at times. This was and an inspirational tale and feel good show for all and an absolute must see for families. Get yourself down to the Rose Theatre in Kingston from now until January 5th 2025 for a production that will warm your soul like a cosy cup of Christmas cocoa.
Thank you to the entire cast and crew for a magical evening in the theatre. Keep on shining everyone.
A pity you got the choreographer’s name wrong. She is Olivia Shouler and as you say, a real talent.
Thank you for flagging that Helen, when I checked it looked like Olivia was credited so we may have amended it already, otherwise it is correct now.