PANTO SEASON: BEHIND THE SCENES - Finale

Having seen the opening night of Robin Hood, I thought that it would be interesting to go back and see the performance again on its final night. Having had time to hone their performances, would there be anything very different about the show, or would it just be the same as before - which would show admirable consistency but also an unwillingness to learn from the mistakes of that show?

I was pleased to discover that, at times, it was like I was watching a different set of actors altogether. Those who were good on the opening night were, of course, still superb (class will always win out, of course), but the improvement elsewhere was both marked and welcome.

This was apparent in the opening minutes, when a whole new exchange between the two baddies contained some very topical jokes about the Chilcot enquiry. All round, the production was slicker, quicker and, most importantly for a pantomime, funnier. Ken Beer's Bumbleman was the genius comic creation it had always threatened to be, helped no end by the actor having lost his tendency to blurt out his lines too quickly, meaning that the audience were entertained not only by his wonderful costume, but by what he was saying. Janice Wingrove, meanwhile, gave a masterclass in how to play the 'good fairy' role without coming over as either annoyingly smug or insubstantial as a character.

Cathy McKenzie (Maid Marian) at last showed what a fine singing voice she has, belting out her solo to huge appreciation, and if the part of Hood deprived us of James Suther's fine baritone, he did at least get to kiss the girl - which, after four months of rehearsal, must rank as a courtship worthy of the mediaeval era.

Hazel Blenkinsop and Fay Staton, as the cooks Fryer Tuck and Janie Oliver, had grown into superb comic turns, ad-libbing and improvising with authority and exquisite timing, but for me the comedic honours had to go to Paul West's dame, a role in which he was consistently brilliant from day one and which he played in such a beautifully understated way which never detracted from the efforts of those around him.

Of course, the things which I hated the first time around were still there - the opening song (which, on a second listen, revealed itself to be not only musically insipid but also lyrical nonsense) and the audience participation song (which I confess to having a small part in sabotaging). That amateur actors could put on such a fine show in the face of such doggerel was impressive to say the least.

By all accounts, all of the nights were well received, but for me it did all come right on closing night.

 

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