Robin Hood
Theatre Royal, Newcastle
When an audience spontaneously cheers and applauds wildly you know you’re onto a
winner – and that was when Danny Adams first stepped onto the stage!
Adams is a young comedian who has learnt his craft the hard way – by playing in
front of around a million people over the past two decades or so, the last six years in
panto at Newcastle where he has gained superstar status akin to Alan Shearer among
Geordie kids.
Wallsend-born Michael Harrison, who produces and writes this spectacular panto,
knows his audience and sensibly builds his show around Adams, who is on stage for
the most part, bringing high-octane energy, non-stop hilarity and total warmth to the
role of Robin Hood.
Okay, there’s a flimsy plot and you could easily remove some traditional panto
characters without affecting the storyline, but who cares? This is non-stop action that
includes magic tricks, a waterfall that spells words, 3D animation and a dragon that
comes out into the audience. It’s breathtaking stuff, every second of this two-hour
bonanza.
The set pieces with Tupele Dorgu (The Sorceress), Maid Marion (Lauren Hall), (Friar
Tuck) Steve Arnott (The Sheriff), Worky Ticket (Phil Corbitt), Nurse Rita (Chris
Hayward), Will Scarlet (Michael Quinn), Alan A Dale (Danny Potts), Little John
(Michael Potts) and Jethro Marles (King Richard) are all visually stunning and highly
entertaining.
With the brilliant Danny Adams leading the proceedings this wonderful production is
as near perfect as you can get for a Christmas show.
Ed Waugh, Shields Gazette w/c 6 Dec