Lee Mead Forum

I feel I should maybe apologize in advance for the length of this review, but by the time you read this, I’ll have seen the show a, erm, couple *puts on halo* of times, so there’s much to tell. I’ll try to give a review of the show as it should be and just add funny extras, otherwise it’ll be a bit of a mess ;-)

So. before the show starts, the faces of famous Robin Hoods (film and tv) are projected onto the curtain, so you constantly hear murmurs of recognition together with the bouncing of excited children. Then, with a crash of drums and a flash of light (sorry :P) all goes dark and the stage is filled with smoke. At the front of the stage a trapdoor opens and Robin Hood slowly emerges on stage. (Depending on the audience, this is met with a lot of cheering or not). He dispels the old Robin projections with a wave, then jumps around to face the audience and starts singing. It’s clear enough even then he’s having a great time and the song is a lot of fun too. I actually think it’s one of my favourites! Anyway, “Call me Robin Hood…” (...)

Robin asks the audience if they would like to go on an adventure with him, and of course everybody answers yes. We then meet the rest of the Merry Men. Not at all little Little John, Munch the Miller’s Son, Atchoo, and of course Friar Tuck played by Don MacLean who is brilliant as always. They sing “All for One” and when the song’s over, Little John reports a carriage approaching. In the carriage is the Maid Marian, who seems outraged that Robin has caught her, tells him what an outlaw he is, but also that he’s probably the most handsome men she has ever met Still, if the sheriff catches him, he’ll be hung from the gallows and she’s worried. Robin tells her not to worry because they’re always on guard and:
- “I also know a man with a Tardis.”
- “Who?”
- “That’s him.”


The sherriff comes on and says that he has a cunning plan :P

After that we meet Will Scarlet and Sam. Were it not for JB’s regularly bursting into giggles it would be hard to say who the star of the performance is, JB or ventriloquist Paul who plays Will (and Sam). He’s absolutely brilliant. He instructs the audience very well, telling us to reply “hiya Will!” every time he says “hiya team!” When we all have mastered that he tells us to cheer for ourselves and then decide something is wrong. Singling out one side of the audience, the first half of that side, the first row of that side, a couple of people in that row he finally brings it down to the “lucky” person. “Ugly [insert name].” Of course Will is friendly enough, Sam is the rude one. But oh is it hilarious.
Robin comes on and asks what Will is doing:
- “I’m looking for men.”
- “Can I help?”
The audience dutifully greets Robin who then walks off again.

As Will sets out to leave Maid Marian enters the town square. She wants to warn Robin about the plan the sherriff has, but before she can give Will all the details, the sheriff comes on again, there’s a fight, Robin and his gang win and they sing “Call me Robin Hood” again. The fighting is actually very well choreographed, but it’s one of the only things I can cut down in reviewing :P

I’m starting to fear this is really going to be a very lengthy review…. So… To be continued

*claps* Oooh more!!!

Oooh sounding good!

Sounds fantastic. Can't wait for next part. I hope it is an enthusiastic audience when I go. I want lots of cheering when JB comes on stage. Don't want to be drawing attention to myself after all.

Brilliant first part Marieke ;)

13 DAYS!!!! Squeeeeeeeee!!!

I love to read the plot to a show, so please keep it coming!

Just noticed I mixed some things up, so there's a change in the original post!

Here's another bit! :

Friar Tuck comes on, ask how the sword fight when, telling the audience that Robin made him cook because he thinks he fries things (“not the sharpest arrow in the quiver, our Robin”) and then talks about some missionary work in little fishers village just of the M6 He tells us what he’s making for dinner that night, or rather he sings a brilliant version of “Nessun Dorma”, now called “Chicken Korma”.

Not much later Robin Hood and his Merry Men enter the forest for dinner. As they go to eat, Will comes on stage carrying a baby in a basket and shows the child to Friar Tuck. They set off for the camp when Little John meets them with Maid Marian and her handmaidens. They go to the encampment, where Marian warns Robin about the forthcoming attack planned by the sheriff. Robin tells her not to be worried, because they have swords (at one of the shows he told Marian they had sWords, and after that point the scene was hilarious, with Marian emphasizing the W as much as she could). Marian challenges Robin and for a moment it appears Robin is winning when Marian sticks her sword between his legs and he quickly surrenders :P
After Marian has left for the castle Munch comes on stage carrying a copy of Ye Olde Sun, in which the sheriff has put and advertisement for a housemaid. Very democratically it’s decided that Friar Tuck should put on a dress (“It says name and address, not a dress”) and function as a spy in the castle.

The following scene takes place inside the castle, when the sheriff tells Marian off for sneaking out the castle and orders her locked in her room. Friar Tuck arrives, now under the name of Mrs. Doubtfire. The sheriff immediately falls for ‘her’ and gives her the job.

After this one of the most hilarious scenes in the panto starts: arms practice.
Because the sheriff and his men are coming Robin wants to make his Merry Men a top army unit. With wooden sticks (pretending they’re guns) they do a nice routine led by Robin. Here’s where things go wrong. Tuesday’s matinee had JB exclaiming: “I want you to throw your wood over your shoulder.” Pause. And then hysterics while commenting “I just realized what I said”. The Merry Men still stand in line, trying to keep a straight face, no doubt used to things like that. Anyway, JB continues laughing for a while (and at that point I had tears streaming down my face too) and when he’s composed himself enough (and apologized to the mums and dads), they go on. Only to break down again not long after. There are moments like that aplenty, and just around the arms practice there are a quite few possibilities of things goes wrong. Atchoo the incredibly camp Merry Man is hilarious in his own, Will and Robin form a perfect team and after the matinee slip of the tongue, at the evening show at that precise moment Robin starts of saying “I want you to throw your…” pause. You could see him trying to phrase the right phrase, but when he starts again he repeats what he’d said that afternoon and everyone breaks down again.
I guess some could say it’s not professional, but hey, it’s panto and things like that are bound to happen. It makes it so much more fun too. I’ve read a discussion about whether the corpsing is actually scripted. I’m sure in some parts it is, but most of the time it isn’t. Because this bit goes wrong so much I’m sure JB is a bit more apprehensive and corpses easier, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t scripted. If anything because it didn’t happen every time, and the corpsing occurred in various moments. Besides that, we spoke to some of the cast members who admitted trying to make John and each other corpse and a lot of things happening in the arms practice scene could be due to that. :)

What a lovely review Marieke. I saw it on Saturday 10th (yes I had booked the tickets before Lee extended). Didn't think I would get to London in time for the last night so saw Lee on Friday 9th Jan instead which was wonderful.

I really loved the Panto and can't wait for my next visit which is on 31st Jan.

I must congratulate you on your English. I don't know how you manage to follow everything on here, you understand and write it extremely well. I learned French at school and can write it pretty well and read it Ok but when it comes to understanding French people even though I have friends over there who are French - OMG that is a different story.

I can't add any more to your great review but will just say it was fantastic, fantastic, fantastic. God help my husband's wallet if Lee and John ever end up in the West End in different shows

Aw thanks My understanding of French isn't that good either you know No, but seriously, I'm so used to reading, writing, speaking and listening to (and thinking in :P) English that it's almost a second language

I do have more, but I need to write out the next bit, following what I posted last night, so it may take a little while! Will try to update soon though! Hope it's not too detailed?

Are you going for the mat on the 31st? Cause I'm sure that'll be hilarious

Loving the review Marieke, almost like I'm there

Hi Marieke - yes I am. Can't wait. I have to tell you how lucky you were meeting John. He has now stopped the stage door signings. According to his official website it is due to his having a couple of throat infections one after the other. Also earlier last week there was a Police chase down the very narrow street where the stage door is situated which could have resulted in serious problems had there been lots of people hanging around the stage door.

I cannot say I am not disappointed because I am. I would love to get my autobiography signed. However, he has been so busy this year and he really does have a punishing schedule. His responsibilty is to the audience and the theatre management and it is unfair to the other fans who are going to see the Panto if he hangs around outside making himself ill in the cold. He must be worn out after everything he has done this year.

I cherish my memories of last year more than ever now. He spent such a great amount of time with us all and did not go back in until everyone had had everything signed and had photos taken with him. All this despite the fact that he had two hours break between shows and his parents were waiting for him in the Foyer. I think the poor guy does need a bit of space now.

Glad you like it Ange!

Marilyn, I heard about that! I completely understand why he does it, but I can imagine people are disappointed! I'll cherish my memories even more now too!

Anyway, I honestly can’t remember what happens next. Usually I’m laughing too much! Oh wait, I can *lol* ...

The arms practice gets interrupted when the sheriff and his man appear. Robin and the sheriff quarrel a bit and there’s another fight. Not surprisingly Robin and his men win. The sheriff walks off the stage.
At that point (I think) Friar Tuck comes on stage again. All his bits are hilarious, but a bit easy to mix up, so I think I’ll cut down on those too.
So, sheriff reappears with Marian and he leads her to Cassandra, a witch who will help him make Marian disappear. She doesn’t do murder, but she’s quite good at magic! And I have to say, I couldn’t quite figure out that specific trick even after seeing the show from the first row a couple of times! Cassandra has an amazingly powerful voice, it was great to hear her sing “Evil Woman”.
When Marian’s disappeared, the sheriff demands a protector. Cassandra summons Titan, a giant robot, to perform that job. Titan really is a bit impressive, but also very loud and noisy! I did like the Daleks in last year’s Aladdin better
The scene switches back to the forest, where Little John and Will and Sam are sneaking. Robin meets up with them and they talk about Titan. Will tells Robin that :”We need more men.” to which Robin replies: “Always.” ;mrgreen:
Friar Tuck appears again and they stand there talking for a moment, when they learn Titan is roaming the forest. Friar Tuck quickly makes his leave (“The motto of my order is cowardice at all cost” which Sam finds a good idea for an old person). Little John wants to go too, but Will declares it’s all for one and one for all. Then they her Titan’s footsteps and quickly make a run for it as well.
Robin stays behind alone and meet Titan. It’s quite a hilarious bit, where Titan apparently decides Robin is too stupid to pose a thread and has him dancing and singing along to “Go, go, go Joseph” He then informs Robin that he would need an exceptionally powerful sword to destroy him. When Titan walks away, Robin realizes he has to go to Camelot, to get Excalibur. At this point there’s a weird sort of intermezzo where Robin suddenly appears in Camelot and is surrounded by Knights of the Round Table singing “Spamalot”. Completely pointless, but no less fun! And Robin does get the magic sword, so that makes it all the better! ^^

Go,Go,Go Joseph & Spamelot:???