The Christmas period may be over, but the pantomime season has just begun for the folks at Handsworth and Hallam Theatre Company (HHTC). The term “am dram” strikes fear into the hearts of many – visions of toe-curling vocals and awkward pacing – but you’ll never get that with HHTC.
HHTC return to the newly-refurbished Montgomery Theatre in Sheffield with this year’s pantomime: Robin Hood. The audience joins Maid Marian, her best friend Silly Willy and his mum, Dame Nanny Fanny Flapjack (surely there’s no way to make any innuendos with those names?!) as they team up with Robin Hood and his Merry Men to defeat the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.
The direction of the show is fantastic. Matthew Walker, along with the assistance of Jane Jefferson-Blythe, directs the production with a clear understanding of the pacing, style and unequivocal British-ness of panto. The audience’s continuous laughter was a clear indication that each joke landed flawlessly: no pantomime is complete without smutty jokes for the adults, social media references for the kids and digs at the production’s surrounding towns and cities!
The props and sets team, led by Rachael Eyton and David Parkin, capture the essence of each scene with ease. The costumes from Molly Limpets Theatrical emporium match each character perfectly, telling you about the wearer even before they open their mouths to introduce themselves.
The scenes were amplified by fantastic routines from choreographers Hayley Wilbourne and Beth Cooke. My favourites included a very sweet performance from the children’s ensemble to It’s a Lovely Day Today as well as a tap routine to That Beautiful Sound from Beetlejuice the Musical, which was accompanied by the particularly strong vocals of Andrew Stansall (the Sheriff of Nottingham).
Though this is an amateur production, you wouldn’t guess it from the standards set by the principal cast. Richard Granger (Robin Hood) and Sara Ross (Maid Marian) play our traditional heroes and deliver incredible vocal performances from the beginning to the end of the show. Matthew Walker, the production’s director, also takes on the role of Dame Nanny Fanny Flapjack. Accompanied by Silly Willy (Joseph Walker), this comedic duo has the audience crying with laughter from the moment they enter the stage. And what panto is complete without a bit of audience participation? Each night, Nanny Fanny Flapjack picks out a new victim – I mean, new beau – to join in with her “nappy rash” chant. We are also invited to be Silly Willy’s new friends and help to protect “Willy’s weapon” (get your mind out of the gutter!).
Robin Hood’s band of Merry Men, made up of Stuart Ogden, Sam Widdowson and Steve Mather, bring more laughter. Mather’s dry delivery was excellent and contrasted the Dame incredibly well, Ogden’s physical comedy was fantastic and Widdowson, as well as having great comedic timing, delivered some of the strongest vocals in the show.
The gang are helped by the Sherwood Sprite (Louise Loftus) and hindered by resident baddy, the Sheriff of Nottingham (Andrew Stansall). Loftus and Stansall play off each other extremely well, perfectly juxtaposing each other’s characters. Loftus leads numerous musical numbers that the audience clapped and swayed to and Stansall had us booing and hissing throughout. David Jefferson portrayed multiple characters, most notably Big King Dick (yes, really) and had the audience cheering at the end of the show when the Sheriff is banished to Chesterfield (a harsh punishment, I know).
Robin Hood by HHTC was absolutely fantastic! We laughed, clapped and sang our hearts out right until the curtains came down. This summer, HHTC are performing Urinetown the Musical - you do not want to miss it! Click the link below to find out more here.
Comments