Review: THE HEART OF ROBIN HOOD at Kanata Theatre

What if Robin Hood wasn't always the nice guy we know who helped the poor? In Kanata Theatre's presentation of The Heart of Robin Hood, we learn that our hero has a checkered past. Before his days of philanthropy, Robin (Michael Hart) and his band of "merry men", Much (Baylen Purcell), Little John (Andrew Michael McCarville), and Will (Andrew Lemieux) were mere highwaymen, more concerned with lining their own pockets than the welfare of the less fortunate.

The fair Marion (Kiara Côté) and her power-hungry sister, Alice (Brooke Trealout) await their father's (Sanjiv Kalra) return from the Crusades. In the meantime, Prince John (Stavros Sakiadis) has hatched a plan to marry Marion and overthrow the monarchy (read: kill his brother and take over the throne). Marion is aghast and flees into Sherwood forest to avoid matrimony. There, she and her trusty friend, Pierre (Jacob Dylan) meet Robin and Marion decides to take on an alter ego, Martin of Sherwood, to rob the rich but give her spoils to the needy. When Robin and Martin learn of the Prince's plans to kill two innocent children (Matthew Conlin and Morgan Mowat), the competitors band together to prevent the injustice. Seeing this glimmer of kindness in Robin, can Marion find a way into Robin's heart?

The Heart of Robin Hood's story, by David Farr, is engrossing, and the play contains elements of violence that are reflective of the era but rarely depicted on stage, heightening the playwright’s commitment to authenticity. However, the script is needlessly long and requires many scene changes that are distracting. The stage design (Sally McIntyre) is minimalist to allow for the many scene changes, but it is anchored on each side with a static piece. On one side, there is a large oak tree to signify that the story largely takes place in Sherwood Forest. The other side has a projection screen (projections by Jana van Wyk) that is used as a background enhancer. Its irregular step shape cuts off some of the images it projects. For example, in one church scene, rows of occupied pews fill the screen; a knight stands next to one at the rear of the church but, because of the image placement, his head is missing. However, the properties design team and builders, led by Jennifer Barkley, deserve credit for their creation of a very impressive carriage. There is a scene with a travelling puppet show of sorts that is very well executed, but it is done in a style that, unfortunately, feels out of place in this particular show.

The show has a large cast and overall performances are mixed. Several actors use exaggerated speech and movement, presumably for comedic effect, but failing to enlist the desired response. Sakiakis, McCarville, Purcell, and Matthew Walker give strong performances; Conlin, Mowat and Daria Bester as the children and Plug the Dog are highly enjoyable to watch.

The Heart of Robin Hood would benefit from a shorter script and a layered stage layout that would allow for easier and more rapid scene transitions. The show is recommended for teens, due to some violent scenes. Fans of the folklore may enjoy this reimagining of Robin Hood and Maid Marion’s story.

More on Kanata Theatre

Upcoming Shows

The Heart of Robin Hood

5/13 - 5/23/2026

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