Robin Hood
ROBIN HOOD
To Bungay to visit the severely underrated gem that is the Fisher Theatre and enjoy another all-encompassing panto experience from the always wonderful Reduck Productions.
Bungay is a small town, and the theatre is also very quaint: you can go from the front door to the auditorium in about 10 steps; but this lovely traditional pantomime has become a firm fixture in my calendar every year, as there’s always a good time guaranteed here. Clearly many others share the same sentiment as it’s very pleasant to see the room filled and alive with excited anticipation before the show too.
When I say traditional, I really do mean that - there’s great effort put in to ensure that all the familiar aspects of pantomime are included and respected, including many that larger scale productions miss or ignore. From the fairy giving us the opening lines in rhyming couplets throughout, to the hero and villain always appearing from the correct sides of the stage, via plenty of opportunities to shout out and get involved and the classic “behind you!” antics - it’s charming and delightful while keeping within the theatre’s modest capabilities. Don’t expect any bloat here, there’s no giant and expensive spectacle or filler, all the magic here comes from the care and attention everyone is putting in by themselves. And boy does that pay off.
It’s a bit cliche to say that pantomime has something for everyone, but this one really does nail that - the songs are considerately chosen to fit the story and keep up with current trends, and sung brilliantly every time; the performances are solid and dependable from everyone involved; and the script is literally peppered with gags and laughs, including two very solid pun chains in the opening scenes. There’s also the suitably tongue-in-cheek playful punches to neighbouring towns and cities, plus of course they got the 2025 box-ticking 67! reference in there for the younguns.
I would say that one downside here is that the story is a bit lackluster, I think Robin Hood is a tricky one to spin out into a full length show such as this, and the final act does feel a bit tacked on for the sake of an opportunity for one last costume change for a wedding that we don’t actually see - but the audience (and myself included) are having such a good time that it doesn’t really matter.
On the subject of the audience, they’ve been on board the whole time (aside from a few poorly considered attempts at heckling seemingly from the theatre’s usher) and no one needs any heavy handed encouragement to clap along, cheer and scream at the right moments. The thunderous applause at the ends of each segment are well and truly earned.
Quinn Richards has the most to do on stage, as the titular hero Robin Hood himself, and he makes a strong confident lead. I do feel he looked like he felt a tiny bit out of place for the first few scenes but he soon started to show his grounding place as the story went on.
Eloise Cubbin plays Maid Marion, not as the typical damsel in distress with nothing to do - she gets a fair crack for herself too, especially in the second half with a surprise twist on the character. She also gets landed with this year’s every-panto song “Golden” and handles it with aplomb.
Gillian Dean has one of the two prominent double roles in the show - as fairy Cher Wood (excellent pun) and the matronly Sarah. She plays each one with clear distinction along with assured contrasting accents, meaning that both characters are very well rounded and stand on their own. Sometimes the fairy role can feel tacked on or phoned in but here there is no chance of either being the case.
Ivan Wilkinson gets to revel in villainy with the Sheriff of Nottingham, giving a very strong, charismatically unlikeable performance and he gets his teeth right into a brilliantly funny villain song to boot - certainly it’s the top highlight of the show for me. My only criticism for him and the character is that we don’t get to see him enough through the story.
Dan Crowley has the other double role, as Will Scarlett and Helmut - the diametrically opposite sidekicks and he handles them both beautifully too. He effortlessly takes the lion's share of the laughs of every single scene he is in, with perfect pitch and consideration throughout, including alongside Ivan’s villain in the song previously mentioned as my highlight. Whether he’s the one teeing up the laughs or knocking them out himself, he makes a sublime inclusion for this show and has some of the best comic timing I’ve seen.
Leighton Melville plays the dame, Little Joan, with his fast-becoming-infamous cheeky and innately charming delivery. He rolls along with the audience and gleefully plays up to everything that gets thrown his way, including tonight’s begrudging audience victim Daniel, who evidently has been picked on before and doesn’t hold back on trying to derail the expected banter - unsuccessfully thanks to Leighton’s quick wits and capable handle on the setup.
Ellis Rose Rother plays Alan A Dale - the suspiciously bearded merry man; at first seeming to be somewhat of a filler character but she gets her opportunity to shine as the story goes on and especially when the mystery of the odd name is resolved at last. She also gets to bring her incredible circus skills to the stage in the second half of the show, with some deft combat work and then a standout scene at the fayre, giving us the treat of her tumbling acrobatics and beautiful poi swinging.
The inclusion of Friar Duck (another great pun) means that pretty much everyone gets a chance to play the puppet, though aside from the comedy aspects the character doesn’t really add much to the story and flits wildly between comic relief and blatant expositional device. Still, everyone who handles him does so very well and it never once stands out as “this is just a puppet” - there is life and animation throughout.
James Ducker (one half of Reduck) also makes a lovely cameo-esque appearance as King Richard, with a nice flourish of a remote video call from the nearby tree to add in to the story towards the end. Again what could have been jarring anachronism is just so charmingly handled it doesn’t at all matter here.
I also have to give a shoutout to the technical work on this show, it is very dynamic and inventive, again considering the means. The lights in particular are used in interesting ways despite the fixed nature of the rigging - it means it's never garish or out of place, just serving the story and show nicely. Sam Webber is at the desk and handles all of the sound and lighting cues very deftly.
Overall, the script and direction is very strong and tight, the writing keeps the story flowing while allowing plenty of opportunities for mischief and laughter - the cast are clearly all on board with Hayley Evenett’s masterfully assured hand across both, and it massively pays off. There’s levity and peril in equal measure, and they even brilliantly channel the "goes wrong" spirit a few times with no broken stride too. Add in a few cheeky and knowing nods through the fourth wall to the audience as you would expect and it makes for a wonderful night at the theatre.
There’s also a nice addition of a photo opportunity at the end of the show which means for the children who have loved the show they can pose with and hug their favourite characters, and it gives me an opportunity to tell everyone in person how wonderful they were - plus snap a lovely selfie with them all too.
In summary, the many years of Reduck Productions being at the helm of this theatre’s pantomime means that they’re not afraid to keep it down to earth and that they’re not pitching beyond their means either - the Fisher Theatre clearly doesn't have the same spending power as larger theatres do but thanks to this dedicated production team, and the delight of everyone front of house, it still manages to punch its way to the top echelons of what a great panto should be.
🎯🎯🎯🎯.5 / 5
Performances continue until New Year’s Eve, with limited availability. Find out more and book tickets here.
See below for some official production photos from the show, taken by James Ducker.
I was given a complimentary ticket to the show in exchange for my honest thoughts.
