Show: Robin Hood
Society: Putney Light Opera Society (PLOS)
Venue: Putney Arts Theatre
Credits: Loz Neal
Type: Sardines
Author: Chris Abbott
Performance Date: 05/01/2017
Robin Hood
Chris Abbott | 06 Jan 2017 12:52pm
It’s always good to see one of the less common pantomime titles, and it’s not often that Robin Hood is presented without being merged with the story of the Babes in the Wood. It’s also a brave choice for an amateur society since most of the parts are male, but a few false beards and some cross-gender casting soon dealt with that problem.
Putney Light Operatic Society (PLOS) present a pantomime every year at the Putney Arts Theatre, one of the regular venues for this itinerant company. Their shows are often strong ensemble pieces, as with their recent Betty Blue Eyes, and it was the whole company musical numbers that were the highlight of this production. Numbers like Eye of the Tiger were put over with verve and enthusiasm, helped by the choreography from Hannah Pratt. The offstage five-piece band were led by James Hall, and the show, with a cast of 24, was directed by Stephanie Parr.
With most of the show performed against a minimal set and black drapes, costumes are very important and these were another strength of the show, carefully chosen and ignoring any foolish theatrical tradition about green and yellow on stage being unlucky (and anyway, you can’t put on Robin Hood without having anything green on stage). Congratulations to Janet Huckle who managed to come up not just with suitable costumes but a complete change for everyone for the walkdown.
In a large cast it is not possible to mention everyone, so best, perhaps, to pick out just those who seemed to be most effective even if in a smaller role. Harriet Ruby as Nancy fits firmly into this category, absolutely making the most of a smallish role, and belting out her solo most effectively. Jon Bradley as Will Bright-Red also caught the audience’s attention and led the rendition of the difficult Will Power (from Something Rotten) very well, almost convincing me that it belonged in a pantomime.
As Hazel and Holly, Nicky Radford and Alice Dowek gurned and mugged their way through the evening, in a pair of nicely-matched performances that were totally in the spirit of pantomime. Robin Hood, keeping up the amateur tradition of a female Principal Boy, was a confident and jolly Deborah Lowe. Well done to her for making it to the end of the evening despite rapidly losing her voice; if she has not recovered for the later performances I hope someone will sing her solos from the wings for her to mime and save her voice for the spoken dialogue.
As Dame Gwen, Joe Beecroft was sadly under-used, despite being absolutely at home on stage and making a real connection with the audience in his first time in the role. After his opening number, the only time he wore a traditional Dame costume, he was not seen for large parts of the evening and much missed. This was a refined Dame in the Jack Tripp mould, with no grotesque costumes or exaggerated behaviour, but it was a thoughtful and entertaining portrayal and I hope to see him in the role again.
A high spot of the evening was the sight of the ensemble dressed as furry creatures of the forest, even managing to enter via the auditorium and up steps, although it must be said the biggest laughs were raised by the sight of them trying to get offstage when unable to see, with helping hands from the wings or other cast members trying to guide them.
The entrance on inflatable animals worked well too, and well done to whoever found those costumes – good byplay with the dinosaur and chicken and the whole routine nicely topped by the Dame arriving on a unicorn. The enthusiastic audience played their parts well too, with friends and family of the cast much in evidence. This was the only occasion I have seen a walk-down where some performers got their own mini standing ovation from the row where their supporters were sitting!
The ghost routine was presented with an excellent bear costume, but if you are going to use the familiar “We’ll go and have a look then” you need to add the expected “Won’t we” – on this occasion the audience spontaneously added that for the cast.
All in the cast did their best with their parts and there were no weak links, although some of the characters did seem superfluous; we saw an awful lot, for example, of the Earl and Countess of Nottingham. Although it was good to see an original script being used, there does need to be a clear storyline for the audience to follow. We did get the archery contest at the end, but there was little in the way of building the band of merry men or combat between Robin and the Sheriff. Jokes were often ponderous or occasionally ineffective due to fluffed lines; drumbeats for some punchlines would help too.
More seriously, there were quite a few lapses of taste in a show which was advertised as suitable for “children of all ages.” Although there were few children in the audience on this occasion, I was not the only person to feel that jokes with punchlines about “tits round your nut-sack” are out of place in a pantomime unless it is one aimed solely at an adult audience. Even more oddly, this line was given to the female Principal Boy rather than a male comic role. There was also too much apologising for the script and talking about being in a pantomime – you can get away with that once but not repeatedly.
Amplification too was a problem, unfortunate when you have a cast that sing as well as many of these performers do. Sound was too loud and often distorted, particularly during the excellent solo numbers like “Someone to watch over me.” I realise some groups feel committed to amplification but others put on musical performances at this venue without it.
There was also a need for play-ons and play-offs rather than each character entering to silence, although a few of these were added in the second half. If each entrance of the Sheriff is accompanied by some suitable chords, it won’t be necessary to tell the audience to boo. Similarly, if Will Bright-Red entered for the first time to a jolly play-on the audience would not have made the mistake of booing him, thinking he must be another baddie.
Script and sound then were my main disappointments, but it would also be good to have an extra set of tabs or a frontcloth for the scenes with small numbers of performers; the large stage is excellent for the ensemble numbers but left duos and small groups surrounded by empty space. Choice of numbers was sometimes odd although that is the director’s prerogative, but it is unwise to follow one female solo with another as happened in Act I.
Apart from these reservations, the welcome as ever was a warm one and the programme was particularly attractive and informative. I look forward to PLOS productions of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Priscilla Queen of the Desert in 2017.
- : admin
- : 05/01/2017