Upstaged Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Oldham Coliseum’s Christmas show keeps getting better year after year. For 2022 our favourite panto team present the action-packed tale of Robin Hood. With a perfect blend of wonderfully wacky characters, thick and fast comic moments and all the trappings of a traditional festive show, Robin Hood is quite possibly the best panto we’ve seen on the Coliseum’s stage.
Quite possibly the best panto we’ve seen on the Coliseum’s stage.
Written by Chris Lawson and Fine Time Fontayne, the production is a delightful mash-up of two different stories – the legend of Robin Hood and the classic fairytale Babes in the Wood. Pantomime superstar Shorelle Hepkin gives another top-notch Principal Boy performance as Robin Hood. While, Liz Carney’s dastardly Sheriff wants Robin Hood out of the picture as she hatches a plan to kidnap the ‘Babes’ and claim their fortune.
Nathan Morris gives a superb comic performance as The Sheriff’s dim-witted sidekick Failsworth and Ian Crowe elicits boos from the young audience as the evil Sir Guy of Gisbourne in his relentless pursuit of Maid Marion, sweetly played by recent graduate Sarah Pearson. The whole cast bounce off each other brilliantly – it’s clear that the show must have been a lot of fun to make and perform.
Versatile with sharp comic timing, Sophie Ellicott puts in a charismatic and animated performance as Ellen A Dale and the magical Fairy of the Woods. While, Charlie Ryan gets to showcase a fabulous range of costumes and deliver the punchy one-liners as the Dame, Nurse Nellie. William Travis’ silly and eternally hungry Friar Tuck keeps the audience on their toes by calling out every time he steps on stage.
David Bintley’s soundtrack pushes everything along at a joyous pace.
With a lively musical score covering everything from Dolly Parton and George Ezra to Dear Evan Hanson, David Bintley’s soundtrack pushes everything along at a joyous pace. Award-winning designer Celia Perkins’ set looks as though it has been peeled from the pages of a children’s picture book and her bright costumes are a highlight too.
Uplifting and packed with belly laughs, Robin Hood is everything that a family Christmas show should be. With slapstick routines, cheeky ad-libs for the grown-ups and sweeties for the little ones, Oldham Coliseum offers a top-notch pantomime that everybody can enjoy.
It’s been a tough time for our friends at Oldham Coliseum. The theatre, which has been at the heart of Oldham life for over 135 years, has recently been denied Arts Council Funding for the coming year; funding which it has received for decades. As one of only 32 producing theatres in England, and the only surviving theatre in the borough – in an area that has been identified as a ‘levelling up’ area for culture by the government – we believe that Oldham Coliseum and its work – its quality theatre alongside its outreach work and education – is vital to the community of Oldham, and further afield.
Robin Hood could be the theatre’s best panto yet.
We love Oldham Coliseum’s pantomime – it has always been a highlight of the festive season. With a pleasing price tag and taking place in an ideal-sized performance space, where everybody has the opportunity to interact with the show – Robin Hood could be the theatre’s best panto yet. And there’s never been a more important time to support this fantastic Northern theatre.
-Kristy Stott
Robin Hood runs at Oldham Coliseum until 7 January 2023.