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Robin Hood: A New Family Musical

4 March 20253 March 2025 Oscar Bray

Robin Hood Rating

★★★★★

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If you turn the corner in Malvern’s Central Park in the late morning, you’re greeted by winding ropes cordoning off islands to seat picnic blankets or chairs. You’ll also see set pieces straight from a primary school play: a tiny wooden island and cajón drum, green and brown paint-spattered cloths tied to trees, and details like fake rocks and a shelf of plastic food with the sign SHERIFFS PANTRY.

The team behind Melbourne Shakespeare Company’s Robin Hood uses this sequestered woody space to its fullest to craft a whimsical, ramshackle and original take on a classic story.

Robin (Billy Thomas), Dame Tuck (Jackson Cross) and Little Joan (Lucy May Knight) are going about their usual business of robbing the rich to feed the poor. But when they are caught stealing from the Sheriff of Nottingham (Kaia Reyes), he devises a new punishment: shipping them off to Australia.

There, the merry men, with the help of Bushranger Bruce (Daniel Hillman), must acclimatize to a strange new world and find their way back home. The beginning feels slow and the different scenes are somewhat disconnected and potentially difficult for a child audience to follow, but it was a pleasant surprise to see a slightly different narrative in a panto show.

The ensemble is charming and navigates their stage perfectly. Every line is audible, every slapstick gag is visible and tight, and every spectator gets close-up moments with the characters. Lucy May Knight as Little Joan stands out with a bubbly yet sharp physicality that’s perfect for panto.

The world-building was also fantastic at blending a familiar and fun Aussie context into a classic story. The adorable Australian animal puppets were a highlight, while all the pop culture references and self-referential jokes landed well with the adult audience.

Maxwell Simon’s (Muriel’s Wedding) original score is fun and full of laugh-out-loud lines, but there was only one song where the children were directly encouraged to play along. It felt like the whole show missed out on many opportunities for audience participation, and this led to some clear confusion and lost attention among the kids at some points.

While Robin Hood has its moments of missed potential, it’s definitely a worthwhile and unique experience for the theatre-loving family. It’s a scrappy, feel-good show that keeps the much-loved traditions of panto alive in a timeless yet modern story for an audience of all ages.

To book tickets to Robin Hood, please visit https://www.melbourneshakespeare.com/robinhood

Photography: Sare Clarke Photography

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Oscar Bray

The Twelve Days of Christmas: Irish Theatre Players

8 December 2024 Poppy Rogers

The Twelve Days of Christmas Rating

★★★★★

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While pantomimes aren’t a well-known concept to some, they are a Christmas tradition for many families in the UK. It’s also the one-time audience participation in the theatre that is not only expected but encouraged. Oh no, it’s not, I hear you say. Well, oh yes, it is!

The Irish Theatre Players’ production of The Twelve Days of Christmas takes us to the enchanting village of Old Dimpley Bottom, where the Royal family are planning a grand Festive Ball to bring joy to all the villagers. To mark this splendid occasion, a giant advent calendar with 12 doors is constructed on the Village Green, with one door to be opened each day until Christmas.

However, the festive spirit is threatened when Wizbad, the wicked wizard (Adrian Mills), steals the keys to the advent calendar and scatters them across the globe. Aided by the good Fairy (Anna Sirotkina), the characters embark on an exhilarating race against time, travelling to the world, from South America to Ireland, in their quest to retrieve the missing keys.’

The set got everyone in the Christmas spirit and saw clever use of a single flat interchanged as the residents of Old Dimpley Bottom travelled far and wide in search of the keys to save Christmas. The stage lights would go down, and when they were lit again, we had been transported to a new exotic destination with singing, dancing (yes, of course, some of it Irish) and a range of well-considered props to confirm where we were.

The Twelve Days of Christmas is fun for the whole family. It has the right amount of innuendo to keep the adults laughing, but the kids especially will love it. The audience was clearly well versed in their role, with the expected booing, hissing, and ‘he’s behind you’ happening from the very start.

The cast embraced their roles and hammed it up. The traditional pantomime dame, Gertie Gusset (Peter O’Connor), was a crowd favourite, and relatable local council workers Stampit and Clampit (Nathan Holland and Amanda Walker) were appropriately annoying as they provided fines for inappropriate parking of a wheelbarrow and an announcement after the interval that given its Christmas, instead of wheel clamping audience members’ cars, they’d been nice and had them towed.

Having a reasonably large cast, often on stage at the one time, and with children making up half of the ensemble, things could become a bit of a mess but the action was well choreographed and made great use of the space available, sometimes extending out into the crowd.

The costumes were fabulous and plentiful, keeping some of the main characters’ outfits simple but adding accessories such as Queen Cupcake’s headband…you guessed it, a cupcake. Every different country travelled to in search of keys featured costumes to suit, from French berets to leprechaun outfits.

With Christmas less than three weeks away, what are you waiting for? Head down to The Irish Club of WA in Subiaco to get yourself in the Christmas spirit. There’s even a bar should you need some spirit of a different kind.

Performance Dates: December 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15
Thursday, Friday & Saturday’s at 7.30pm
Saturday & Sunday matinees at 1.30pm.
Book your tickets quickly here:- TAZ Tix.

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Poppy Rogers

Puss In Boots

29 November 202423 November 2024 Natalie Rees

Puss In Boots Rating

★★★★★

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With Christmas just around the corner, there is nothing like seeing a pantomime at this time of year, and the Limelight theatre production of Puss in Boots will definitely hit the spot for some Christmas cheer. With an enormous 30-strong cast, this show is a dazzle of song, dance and melodramatic acting that is as impressive as it is entertaining. You will laugh, cheer, boo and get to sing along to the many well-known songs and feel like you are just as much part of the show as the actors.

The pantomime twist of the traditional story of Puss in Boots tells of Jack (Zavier Wileman), a poor miller son who is left just a cat (Beau Poole) after his father dies. Zavier Wileman as Jack gave a strong performance and was well loved by the audience. At times his vocalisation could have been louder and clearer and this was also amplified by some minor technical difficulties.

Beau Poole as Puss in Boots was a bundle of energy and clearly very talented. I absolutely loved his physicality as Puss but would comment that he could have connected with other actors clearer. My six year old daughter pinned Beau as her favourite actor!

The two go through various mishaps over the story, often at the hands of Jack’s two dimwit brothers, Jasper (Isaac McAuley) and Jethro (Jason Pearce). Both played the role with suitable comic timing and made a great pair. Isaac McAuley, as Jasper, would blossom with more confidence.

The two brothers fall in love with Babs (Sarah McDonald) and Betty (Eleanor Mulder). Both actors held a tune well and added to the professionalism of this production. Jack then falls in love with Princess Esmerelda (Zoe Anderson), whose extensive training was evident in her performance. She is a very proficient dancer and singer, bringing charm to the stage.

Jack and Esmerelda’s love is interfered with by the Orge (Andrew Govey), who was an absolute hit with the audience. With a very powerful resonance and performance, he gave me a few belly laughs over the night. The Orge was helped by the Bad Fairy (Gwen Browning), who was incredibly articulate and clear as an actor. I enjoyed her performance, even if I didn’t like her character and joined in on booing her!

To counter this, we had the Good Fairy (Christine Smith), who helped put things right. Smith’s warm energy suited the character perfectly, and she held herself as the character equally as well as Browning.

The standout performance, though, was from the Queen (Chris McCafferty). McCafferty, who nailed the art of Pantomime, had me in bundles of laughter. He is clear and articulate, and his comedic timing was spot on. His ability to interact with the audience and his rifting was hilarious. Cher and Sonny’s song ‘I’ve Got You Babe’ that he preformed with his King (RJ Smolders) was particularly funny. Smolders was so well fit for the role of the submissive King and his dottering characterisation was on point.

Last but not least, the young Luis Proctor as The Page stepped confidently into the big task of opening the show with a song. This boy has a bright future ahead of him.

I won’t give away the end of the story but all in all this was a wonderful production from a very cohesive and professional cast. The standard was very high for amateur theatre and the ensemble as well at the dancer significantly added to this.

This show was a full house on opening night, so if you want to see this splendid production, I suggest booking your tickets right now! This is definitely one not to be missed.

To book tickets to Puss In Boots, please visit TAZTix or phone 9255 3336.

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

Natalie Rees

Bonnie Lythgoe’s Snow White – A Magical Spectacle for All Ages

9 September 2024 Rebecca Yeo

Bonnie Lythgoe’s Snow White Rating

★★★★★

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Bonnie Lythgoe Productions celebrated its tenth anniversary with a brand-new production of Snow White. The latest pantomime opened over the weekend at Riverside Theatre, delivering enchanting charm, humour, and a dazzling spectacle that captured audiences both young and old.

Snow White follows the classic fairy tale of a kind-hearted princess whose beauty provokes the jealousy of the wicked queen. Determined to remain the “fairest of them all” and marry Prince Sebastian, the Queen orders Snow White’s demise. Little does the queen know her plan doesn’t quite go according to plan as she seeks refuge with new friends.

The performances were a key highlight of the production. Eliza Sunderland’s performance as Snow White, the titular character, exudes innocence that perfectly captures the essence of the beloved character. Her vocal performances, especially during the musical numbers, blended classic Disney charm with more contemporary energy.

Another stand-out performance was the devilishly over-the-top Wicked Queen, portrayed by Debora Krizak. The audience is encouraged to boo at her as she enters the scene to plot against Snow White. You can’t help but enjoy her wicked antics, thanks to her charisma and banter with those sharing a scene with her. Other notable mentions include Mark Jones as Muddles, a colourful character with witty one-liners injecting the show with humour, Tim Maddren as Prince Sebastian and Barry Pearl as Chambers.

From the moment you sit down, it’s clear that Snow White is a visual feast. The set design transports the audience into a magical fairy tale world. Lighting and effects bring to life the forest, village and menacing Queen’s lair, making the stage feel like it’s straight out of a storybook. The costumes, specifically Snow White’s signature gown and the Wicked Queen’s ensemble, contribute to the fantastical atmosphere. The inclusion of modern pop songs, which are performed with enthusiasm and flair, adds a contemporary touch to keep the production fresh and relevant.

Lythgoe has masterfully incorporated audience participation by creating an engaging and interactive experience. Children were invited to cheer along for our favourite characters (and boo for the evil ones), sing along to the catchy tunes, and join in on the “behind you!” moments, ensuring that the younger audience members stay involved.

Overall, Bonnie Lythgoe’s Snow White is a vibrant, energetic, enjoyable production that ticks all the boxes. It’s a fun, feel-good show filled with magic, laughter and mischief. The show is a perfect outing for families and will leave you smiling long after it ends.

With only a short time before closing night is upon you, be sure to get your tickets that are available for a range of sessions between 13th-21st September @ https://riversideparramatta.com.au/whats-on/snow-white/

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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