A Cracking Performance of Robin Hood

Bethany Tolhurst-McWattGreen, Chloe Prince and Ben Butler. Photo by Andrew Maguire Photography.

Robin Hood performed by Tread the Boards of Stratford-upon-Avon at The Cidermill Theatre, Chipping Camden, Oxfordshire, From 23 – 31 December 2024. Director: John-Robert Partridge.

Review by Charles Essex

The reviewer’s lot is certainly a happy one – especially when he gets to see pantomimes of the quality of Tread the Boards’s Robin Hood at the Cider Mill Theatre in Chipping Camden. This fabulous theatre, which opened in 2022, was packed for a wonderful performance of this production.

This was the fourth pantomime this reviewer has watched this Christmas and if I was hoping for something a bit different, then Tread the Boards delivered in trumps (yes, there was the now wearisome jibe at Donald, but the script was fair in mocking several other figures).  Multi-talented John-Robert Partridge wrote, directed and starred in this play.  He was the dame, Dotty, mother of Silly Willy (George Ormerod).  Although it is a standard formula of a dame with a sidekick, the quality of the writing and jokes was refreshingly good, with perfect comic timing.

John-Robert Partridge as Dame Dotty. Photo by Andrew Maguire Photography.

Jon Kerr was ideally vain and villainous as Sheriff of Nottingham, proud of his hair pursuing Maid Marian (Abigail Drennan). Ben Butler was a rather wimpy bumbling Robin Hood, rather than the archetypal muscular hero, which created much humour especially during his duet with Marian.  All the cast’s engagement with the audience was magnificent and young children stayed engrossed throughout. 

The plot can be summarised, as in most pantomimes, as ‘villain wants girl and hero comes to the rescue’.  Enough said.  By far the overall striking attribute was that the acting, dancing and singing elevated this production to a professional standard.  All singers gave strong renditions, in tune.

Abigail Drennan and Ben Butler. Photo Andrew Maguire Photography.

However, the quality of the dancing was the icing on the cake.  Choreographer Helen Leek arranged some wonderful routines, aided by fabulous dancers Bethany Tolhurst-McWattGreen and Chloe Prince, both of whom are clearly highly trained.  Sequences involving all the cast worked like clockwork. 

This was a cracking performance. For this reviewer personally, the most impressive pantomime of the season. There are still some tickets available before the run ends and this show is not to be missed.

Tickets from www.theattictheatre.co.uk