SHOW UP PRODUCTIONS presents…
REVIEW
Robyn Hood
Hadleigh Old Fire Station
7th January 2023
Hadleigh Old Fire Station
7th January 2023
Robyn Hood, a community pantomime from Show Up Productions, provided a late season blast of festive fun to ward away the January blues.
The story saw The Sheriff of Essex, rather than of Nottingham, conspiring to steal soup kitchen charity money to buy and destroy Southend Pier with Robyn Hood and Maid Marian attempting to thwart the nefarious scheme.
But panto is never really about the plot. The spirited all-female cast of seven were consistently strong with the devils inevitably having all the best tunes. Uncle Tuck (Anna-Mae Curbeson) was the brilliant swaggering and moustachioed ‘Dame’ of the piece, satirising a toxic masculinity while remaining sympathetic. The strutting, villainous Sheriff (Sherry Fuller) hurled insults at every target in the town and into the crowd, expertly keeping the audience on their toes. Maryam Noorhimli as the Sheriiff’s assistant (named Lorraine for the sole purpose of rain themed song title puns) brought laughs with more humanity to the antagonist camp. Robyn (Trigger Bliss) and Marian (Grace Kelly) were cleverly reimagined as school friends and proved engaging protagonists, offering calm amidst the boisterousness, while shining in their own routines and songs.
All the expected business was included. ‘Behind Yous’, close to the knuckle jokes, local references, a ballroom scene, and a last-minute battle to save the day. Saturday’s performance was a ‘grown-ups only’ version - so the family oriented high jinx was peppered with far ruder jokes and double entendres. (To the company’s credit the run included relaxed and baby friendly editions). The performers were not even phased by secret ‘heckling’ cues provided to the well lubricated and rowdy audience on arrival which added comic energy to proceedings. It came as no surprise to learn that several of the cast were also comedians and improvisors.
The production also made an asset of its modest budget. Set changes became routines accompanied by audience participation, props were innovative (string as a laser beam!) and there were running gags about budget. An hilarious and surprisingly convincing climactic car chase using office chairs was a stand-out scene. Well choreographed and energetic dance numbers by the ensemble (Eleanor Stranders and Charlotte Upton) interspersed the action and the whole cast showed the audience how to dance to the Megan Traynor Tik Tok song. The action even slowed now and then for tongue in cheek advertisements for the show’s commercial sponsors.
Overall the production gleefully tiptoed the tightrope between an ‘anything could happen’ rebelliousness and conventional storytelling, with all the traditional panto elements in check; cheekily subverting and delivering on audience expectations at the same time.
Robyn Hood purported to be Panto ‘but not as you know it’ but this is Panto as we should be seeing it more often: stripped back, genuinely community based, bawdy, brave and above all funny. This was proof that a celebrity cast, and large-scale effects are no replacement for a solid script, great performances, and creativity. The fact that it was raising money (and involved the clients of) local charity Phab Life was icing on the community cake.
Writer/ Director, Rachel Dingle, certainly had nothing to be so modest about when accepting the de rigueur bouquet of flowers from her cast and crew after the show.
Show Up Productions will return to panto land in 2023 with Little Red Riding Hood. Oh yes, they will!
Look out for updates here: www.showupproductions.co.uk
Review: Michael Upton
The story saw The Sheriff of Essex, rather than of Nottingham, conspiring to steal soup kitchen charity money to buy and destroy Southend Pier with Robyn Hood and Maid Marian attempting to thwart the nefarious scheme.
But panto is never really about the plot. The spirited all-female cast of seven were consistently strong with the devils inevitably having all the best tunes. Uncle Tuck (Anna-Mae Curbeson) was the brilliant swaggering and moustachioed ‘Dame’ of the piece, satirising a toxic masculinity while remaining sympathetic. The strutting, villainous Sheriff (Sherry Fuller) hurled insults at every target in the town and into the crowd, expertly keeping the audience on their toes. Maryam Noorhimli as the Sheriiff’s assistant (named Lorraine for the sole purpose of rain themed song title puns) brought laughs with more humanity to the antagonist camp. Robyn (Trigger Bliss) and Marian (Grace Kelly) were cleverly reimagined as school friends and proved engaging protagonists, offering calm amidst the boisterousness, while shining in their own routines and songs.
All the expected business was included. ‘Behind Yous’, close to the knuckle jokes, local references, a ballroom scene, and a last-minute battle to save the day. Saturday’s performance was a ‘grown-ups only’ version - so the family oriented high jinx was peppered with far ruder jokes and double entendres. (To the company’s credit the run included relaxed and baby friendly editions). The performers were not even phased by secret ‘heckling’ cues provided to the well lubricated and rowdy audience on arrival which added comic energy to proceedings. It came as no surprise to learn that several of the cast were also comedians and improvisors.
The production also made an asset of its modest budget. Set changes became routines accompanied by audience participation, props were innovative (string as a laser beam!) and there were running gags about budget. An hilarious and surprisingly convincing climactic car chase using office chairs was a stand-out scene. Well choreographed and energetic dance numbers by the ensemble (Eleanor Stranders and Charlotte Upton) interspersed the action and the whole cast showed the audience how to dance to the Megan Traynor Tik Tok song. The action even slowed now and then for tongue in cheek advertisements for the show’s commercial sponsors.
Overall the production gleefully tiptoed the tightrope between an ‘anything could happen’ rebelliousness and conventional storytelling, with all the traditional panto elements in check; cheekily subverting and delivering on audience expectations at the same time.
Robyn Hood purported to be Panto ‘but not as you know it’ but this is Panto as we should be seeing it more often: stripped back, genuinely community based, bawdy, brave and above all funny. This was proof that a celebrity cast, and large-scale effects are no replacement for a solid script, great performances, and creativity. The fact that it was raising money (and involved the clients of) local charity Phab Life was icing on the community cake.
Writer/ Director, Rachel Dingle, certainly had nothing to be so modest about when accepting the de rigueur bouquet of flowers from her cast and crew after the show.
Show Up Productions will return to panto land in 2023 with Little Red Riding Hood. Oh yes, they will!
Look out for updates here: www.showupproductions.co.uk
Review: Michael Upton
Robyn from Hoodleigh has a big secret she’s kept from her new friend Marian. Will it prevent them from stopping the Sheriff of Essex from stealing Southend Pier?! Our cast of five will entertain you with incredible vocals and enough energy to power a fire station. With dazzling costumes, ingenious set pieces and brand new comedy routines, you’ll remember this panto for years to come!
Marian and Robyn
WHO?
Rachel, who founded Show Up Productions, grew up in Benfleet and attended Westcliff High School for Girls. She trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts - one of the country's top drama schools. She’s worked extensively in theatre in set and costume design, wardrobe, stage management and more. She’s worked at The National Theatre, The Criterion Theatre in London, The Liverpool Empire and most recently headed up the Retail Set Dressing department for The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience in Manchester and Belgium.
When not working away she is focusing on writing and producing her own work. She also set up Show Up! Southend during the pandemic to help promote the creative industries in her hometown.
WHY PANTO?
We want to create theatre in Essex, starting in Castle Point and Southend, to help build a thriving professional theatre industry right here where we live.
Panto is often the first theatre that children get to experience and more often than it should be it’s lazily produced. Copy and paste scripts slung together with old routines coming back time and time again. We want to change that. Our panto will give female performers a chance to play comic roles which are largely performed by men. Plus we’re changing some of the panto tradition; losing the love story and the princess character, spicing up the storyline and so the show will be fit to burst with new ideas.
Rachel, who founded Show Up Productions, grew up in Benfleet and attended Westcliff High School for Girls. She trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts - one of the country's top drama schools. She’s worked extensively in theatre in set and costume design, wardrobe, stage management and more. She’s worked at The National Theatre, The Criterion Theatre in London, The Liverpool Empire and most recently headed up the Retail Set Dressing department for The Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience in Manchester and Belgium.
When not working away she is focusing on writing and producing her own work. She also set up Show Up! Southend during the pandemic to help promote the creative industries in her hometown.
WHY PANTO?
We want to create theatre in Essex, starting in Castle Point and Southend, to help build a thriving professional theatre industry right here where we live.
Panto is often the first theatre that children get to experience and more often than it should be it’s lazily produced. Copy and paste scripts slung together with old routines coming back time and time again. We want to change that. Our panto will give female performers a chance to play comic roles which are largely performed by men. Plus we’re changing some of the panto tradition; losing the love story and the princess character, spicing up the storyline and so the show will be fit to burst with new ideas.
WHAT ELSE?!
We know that everyone is feeling the pinch at the moment so we are offering a substantial amount of PAY WHAT YOU CAN tickets. But these are on a first come first serve basis.
We are also in discussion with Phabulous Cafe (a charity providing free training for local people with additional needs) about a potential partnership.
Local company VDUB Tavern will be providing the bar.
We know that everyone is feeling the pinch at the moment so we are offering a substantial amount of PAY WHAT YOU CAN tickets. But these are on a first come first serve basis.
We are also in discussion with Phabulous Cafe (a charity providing free training for local people with additional needs) about a potential partnership.
Local company VDUB Tavern will be providing the bar.
PAST PRESS COVERAGE
“WE LEFT THE BUILDING BUZZING ABOUT WHAT A GREAT EXPERIENCE WE'D HAD” Southend Theatre Scene on “Stab in the Dark”
"WE WOULD THOROUGHLY RECOMMEND TO FAMILIES"
The Family Stage on “Stab in the Dark”
“OUR KIDS WERE HOOKED. CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE!”
Audience Member on “The Ghost Party”
“WE LEFT THE BUILDING BUZZING ABOUT WHAT A GREAT EXPERIENCE WE'D HAD” Southend Theatre Scene on “Stab in the Dark”
"WE WOULD THOROUGHLY RECOMMEND TO FAMILIES"
The Family Stage on “Stab in the Dark”
“OUR KIDS WERE HOOKED. CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE!”
Audience Member on “The Ghost Party”