MAKING its usual late arrival into the panto season, Robin Hood set up ‘camp’ at the Birmingham Hippodrome last night in a ritzy and glitzy cavalcade of over-the-top delightful froth and nonsense.
It’s big and brash, crude and colourful with a book by Harry Michaels and Matt Slack offering little more than a passing nod to the original story about the hero of Sherwood. No worries there though, as the audience are here for a good time – not a lesson in folklore.
The Brummagem legend Matt Slack also plays the title role of Robin where he is joined by an all-star cast.
Picture by Paul Coltas. s
West End favourite Sandra Marvin lets lose her powerful presence and lungs as ‘The Spirit of Sherwood’, Andrew Ryan, the Hippodrome’s regular Dame, is back as Robin’s Mum Henrietta Hood. Her cossies were the most outrageous yet, with the walkdown frock having a wingspan wide enough to clear everyone else off the stage.
Multi-selling recording artist and award-winning actor Matt Cardle brings his deep rich and menacing vocal range to the bad boy Sheriff of Nottingham and enjoys vociferous foil with original ‘Steps’ star, Faye Tozer as Maid Marion. Then there’s the outrageous TV presenter, designer, cook and author Gok Wan corpsing and banter-battling with everyone as Gok Scarlet.
Completing the glittering principal line up is the superstar of panto himself, Christopher Biggins. He plays King Richard – a role that marks an incredible 60 years of panto performance. Cleverly his role as monarch returning from the Crusades enabled him to come back on forth on a chariot – thus saving his aging legs from treading the boards.
Picture by Paul Coltas. s
Outside of the big names there is a magnificent ensemble and for me, the awesome tumbling talents of ‘The Acromaniacs’ was a comical and graceful highlight.
The settings by designer Mark Walters and costumes by Teresa Nalton combined in a kaleidoscope of colour and style to trip the senses. Rory Beaton gives us rock n’ roll glam lighting and Karen Bruce directs and choreographs with a relentless big-brash-brush.
Picture by Paul Coltas. s
Subtle this Robin Hood is not – it’s more bawdy romp than feel-good rom-com, but it’ll send you home chuckling and singing merrily about ‘Riding through the glen’.
Robin Hood is at the Birmingham Hippodrome until February 1. Click here for times, tickets and more information.
4th Jun, 2026
