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Robin Hood

Written by Patrick Prior

Thurs 26th - Sat 28th November & Tues 1st - Sat 5th December 1992

Directed by Ingrid Corrigan and Peter Corrigan

Sshh... don't tell anyone but Robin Hood can't shoot arrows for toffee!! How will he save England from the evil Sir Guy and the wicked Morgana? Come along and help with some booing and cheering in this hilarious version of the familiar story.

author play bench production

AuthorPatrick Prior

Patrick Prior

Patrick Prior is a British playwright who has penned nearly 30 stage plays and whose pantomime credits include: 'Hansel and Gretel', 'Jack And The Beanstalk', 'Mother Goose' and 'Red Riding Hood'. Much of his writing concentrates on the disparate genres of pantomime and vampires, culminating in a humorous combination of the two in his work 'Dracula the Panto'. The self-styled "people's playwright" admits to a deep fascination for the dark side and even refers to himself as a "freak for Gothic horror". His "horror" plays include 'Dracula', 'The Turn of the Screw', 'The Lodger', 'Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper' and 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'. He has also written a number of plays for radio including 'The Hardest Wee Man in the World' (1990); about the deathbed of Glasgow's tragic hero, Benny Lynch which has been praised for the "elaborate poetry of its descriptive narrative" and 'The Dizzy", broadcast on Radio 4 in 2008 as part of the 'Scottish Shorts' series.

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PlayRobin Hood

This particular version of Robin Hood was first produced in 1990 at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, London, where Prior was writer in residence. Like many of Prior's pantomimes of the era, it was hailed as an outstanding production, ranking alongside and above the more lavish "celebrity-studded" pantos staged by other more lucrative companies. A pantomime based on the classic tale of the outlaw who steals from the rich to give to the poor, it contains all the characters from the popular folk tale - plus a few extra ones invented by the author. The twist is that this particular Robin Hood is a rotten shot and hopeless with a bow and arrow.

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The Bench Production

Robin Hood poster image

This play was staged at Havant Arts Centre, East Street Havant - Bench Theatre's home since 1977. Being the first amateur company to stage this show, Bench theatre were able to hire some of the costumes and props from the original Stratford production. We were also lucky enough to be able to welcome the author to the final performance.

Characters

Robin HoodJamie McDonald
Widow HoodRita de Bunsen
Maid MarianJane Acres
Sheriff of NottinghamDavid Penrose
LickspittleAndy Rees
Jeffroi De TeareRussell Levent
Guy De GuisbourneVincent Adams
Morgana Le FayJane Blunden
CedricJason Dawes
DunstanRob Richards
Simon/Little JohnSimon Norton
Ethelwulf/Friar TuckJohn O'Hanlan
Peter Corrigan
Egbert/Alan A'DaleTim Taylor
Ethelbert/Will ScarlettPeter Minchell
Hooded StrangerRussell Levent
SkeletonsRachelle Inwood
Russell Levent
Peasants
Wenches
Serfs
Villeins
Men at Arms
Saxons
Normans		Andy Ingle
Rachelle Inwood
Laura Smith
Sue Spencer
Wendy Stangrom

Crew

Directors Ingrid Corrigan
Peter Corrigan
Stage Manager Aislinn D'Souza
Props Andy Ingle
Lighting Design Jacquie Penrose
Lighting Operation Sharon Taylor
Musical Director Rob Richards
Costumes Sue Spencer
Wendy Stangrom
Rita de Bunsen
Fight Arranger Paul Bensing
Set Design David Penrose
Set Construction David Hemsley-Brown
House Managers Pete Woodward
Sally Hartley

Directors' Notes

In the years after the Norman conquest in 1066 many a Saxon found himself an outlaw for breaking the rules laid down by the Normans. One such Saxon seems to have been a man called Robin Hood who lived with a band of men in Sherwood Forest near the town of Nottingham. In those days green forests covered most of the country of England so a lot of modern towns claim Robin Hood lived near them. However it is Nottingham and its wicked Sheriff who appear in most of the stories about Robin Hood.

There are lots and lots of different versions of this legend. Most of them claim that Robin had been born the Earl of Huntingdon and became and outlaw because he lost or had stolen his money and his lands. All the stories (except ours) agree the outlaws were wonderfully good shots with the bow and arrow but the best of them all was their leader, Robin Hood. All the other outlaws appear in the legends, Little John, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlett and Alan A Dale. You will also find Maid Marian and Sir Guy of Gisbourne in nearly all the stories as well.

Two of the main characters in our story you won't find in any Robin Hood legend. They are Esmerelda and Morgana Le Fay. Patrick Prior, the writer, chose to put those characters in this story himself. Morgana, the evil witch, is a name he obviously borrowed from another famous legend about a King and a sword in a stone. Do you know which one?

Enjoy our version of Robin Hood!!

Ingrid Corrigan and Peter Corrigan

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Production Photographs

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