Review: Robin Hood at The New Victoria Theatre

5 STARS, December 15 – January 7. Shane Richie leads a group of very merry men in this high-energy, hi-tech version of Robin Hood at the New Victoria, Woking

It’s Christmas - and in the world of theatre, that can only mean one thing – Pantomime! Yes, it’s that time of year for watching women dressed as men, slapping their thighs and singing cringey, re-worded versions of current pop hits, while a man dressed as an old woman delivers slightly smutty lines that all the parents in the audience hope are going over the heads of the slightly confused looking members of the pre-teen audience.

But if you are heading to the New Victoria Theatre in Woking this season, you are going to be in for a real surprise as its version of Robin Hood (starring EastEnder and all-round showman Shane Richie) couldn’t be further away from the tired old format noted above.

This is a rip-roaring ride through Sherwood Forest that delivers original songs, amazing acrobatics, close-up magic, a 3D cinematic experience and a terrifying T Rex (yes, I did ask myself what a T Rex was doing in medieval Nottingham but, hey, it’s panto!).

Shane Richie is well cast as this particular panto protagonist – he has a great sense of comic timing, he can hold a tune and his warmth and ease as a performer really shines through. The scenes when something supposedly goes wrong were very well done and my daughter couldn’t wait to get home and tell everyone about how the curtain came down and you could just see the chorus chatting (if, as Harriet insisted it’s not meant to happen, then the producers may want to add it in as got a lot of laughs).

Richie was ably abetted throughout by Peter Piper as Friar Tuck and Pete Gallacher as the Sheriff of Nottingham - a proper velvet-voiced villain who milked every bit of the ample boos he received from the audience. The Merry Men were played by tumbling team The Acromaniacs, whose slapstick gymnastic routines drew gasps from the crowd and really added to the energy and fast-paced nature of the production.

As I mentioned there are two high-tech sections, that while not strictly in the panto tradition, really did enhance the production. So beware this spoiler alert – the T-Rex is huge and extends a little way out into the audience, prompting screams and squeals from everyone, and the 3D-segment was quite terrifying as spiders from the depths of Sherwood Forest scuttled all over the place and the lady in front of me had her bitten torn off by an oversize serpent (which again, may or may not be a native of Nottingham).

However, stage sorcery doesn’t come cheap and tickets range from £14.50 to £51, putting it on the more expensive side of seasonal theatre – but if you are looking to spend your cash on a Christmas treat this year, I would certainly recommend you give this Robin Hood a try.

  • Robin Hood is at the New Victoria, Woking until Jan 7. For more details and tickets, visit: atgtickets.com

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