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Review: Robin Hood ****
The Alhambra, Bradford
It’s panto season. Dare I say it: ‘Oh yes it is!’. Well, in any case, they say the old jokes are the best, which is probably why the great British institution is still very much alive and kicking.
Billy Pearce’s latest peak from behind the velvet curtain is Robin Hood, which brings together an exciting cast, with a stand-out performance from multi-talented Hilary O’Neil as the sorceress.
She regales the audience with a range of really quite impressive (and funny) impressions, from Tess Daly and some of Catherine Tate’s characters to Joe Pasquale and many more and her song voice is just as inspiring.
The story is the usual mish-mash of fairytale cliches and somehow in this version of Robin Hood, there’s an evil dragon, which starts life as a cutesy little cherub of a creature only to later leap suddenly from the stage and hover menacingly above the audience as a gigantic and somewhat sinister cinder-eyed anamatronic.
Its sudden appearance was scary enough to frighten my two-year-old into covering his eyes but in a way that’s what going to the theatre is all about.
It is, as the ever amicable Billy says during the performance, a show aimed at children and when he duly appears to tame the wicked dragon (who ends up talking in a Tyke accent and being quite friendly), the audience cheers with approval.
Jay Worthy is noteworthy as The Sheriff as is 7ft 7inch Neil Fingleton (officially the tallest man in the UK) as Little John. The story romps along at a fair old pace and you’re never too far from the next ‘boo’ or ‘it’s behind you’. Billy rounds the performance off nicely with a 10-minute solo slot during which he cajoles the audience into a singing contest. All in all, it’s good, honest family fun which children clearly enjoy.
To Feb 5, The Alhambra, Morley Street, Bradford, £9 to £24, Tel.01274 432000 www.bradford-theatres.co.uk
Neil Hudson
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