Robin Hood

Robin Hood
. . . a cricket match in Sherwood Forest? There's Nun Better to play!

To order scripts ISBN 1-873855-15-X – Cast List – Scenes – Extract – Notes – Props – Production photos

Introduction

A pantomime written in a traditional style, but at the same time refreshingly different, Robin Hood treats your cast to some well made characters and dialogue, and conspires to involve your audience to the maximum. It includes, among other things, a cricket match played in the aisles, and an archery competition. Personally, I blame it all on the medi-evil times they lived in!

There are many opportunities for song and dance, including 23 suggested titles, and plenty of scope for including an undefined number of senior and junior chorus members in the show.

Principals: Male 10, Female 4 – but several of the male parts can be played by females if necessary, eg. Much Binding, Private Beech, Blondel – after all, this is pantomime!

Cast List . . .

The Immortals:

Queen Fay, of the Forest Fairies
Forest elves, pixies and fairies – junior chorus

The Mortals:

Robin Hood, leader of the outlaw band (principal boy)
Little John, his second in command
Much Binding, one of the band
Friar Tuck, a hungry monk
Nun Better, genetic sister of Tuck
Mother Hood, Robin's mother (dame)
Cluff, Sheriff of Nottingham
Maid Marion, the Sheriff's niece (principal girl)
Major Oak, Captain of the Sheriff's guard
Private Beech, a small part of the Sheriff's guard
King Richard, returning from distant parts
Queen Berengaria, his wife
Blondel, King Richard's faithful minstrel
Driver, of an articulated vehicle
Pantomime horse
Townsfolk, Monks, Nuns, Outlaws, Soldiers, Castle Attendants – senior chorus

List of Scenes . . .

Act I

The Prologue - Somewhere on the Mediterranean Sea (Front of Tabs)
Scene 1 - Nottingham, Outside the Castle (Full Set)
Scene 2a - The Fairy Glen in the Forest (Front of Tabs)
Scene 2b - A Room in the Castle (Half Set)
Scene 3 - In Sherwood Forest (Full Set)
Scene 4a - Somewhere on the High Seas (Front of Tabs)
Scene 4b - On the Road to Nottingham (Half Set)
Scene 5 - Inside Nottingham Castle (Full Set)

**** INTERVAL ****

Act II
The Interlogue - At Dover (Front of Tabs)
Scene 1 - In Sherwood Forest again (Full Set)
Scene 2a - A Dungeon in the Castle (Half Set)
Scene 2b - At Watford Gap (Front of Tabs)
Scene 3 - Nottingham, Outside the Castle again (Full Set)
Scene 4 - Back in the Fairy Glen (Front of Tabs) + Community Song
Scene 5 - Inside Nottingham Castle (Full Set)

Extract from Act II Scene 3

Oak Halt! Who goes there?
Much B. Ah! Not the sort of friendly face I had in mind!
Tuck (Going towards Oak) We are a deputation, your militancy, from a far flung friary in the forest.
Oak From a friary in the forest? What kind of deputation is this? You don't all look like friars to me. I think you're fakes!! Beech, summon the Sheriff! (Beech exits stage left)
Nun B. Fakes? We're far from fakes!
Much B. We're four fugitives fleeing from fearful adversary.
L.John Fickle fate has found us bereft of fortune.
Tuck We are forced to find favour from Sheriff Cluff.
Oak (To Tuck) And what is your name, fatty?
Tuck Tuck, your constabulary!
Oak (Reacts) I see. Well Tuck, you seem to be the only one that looks like a friar. Perhaps you can explain your friends' dress?
Much B. Ah well, you see we've lived for so long in the woods that . . .
L.John . . . we've just got out of the habit . . .
Much B. . . . so to speak . . .
L.John . . . if you know what we mean.
Oak No, I don't know what you mean. But I know a man who does. Here's the Sheriff now.
Enter stage left the Sheriff with Beech
Sheriff Ah Oak, Beech tells me we have some interesting visitors.
Oak Four friars from the forest, sir.
The Sheriff inspects them
Sheriff Very interesting. From the forest you say? Fascinating things come out of the forest!
Tuck Oh, we're not fascinating in the least!
Much B. Not one bit.
L.John I'd say we were the most unfascinating people you ever saw.
Nun B. No conversation worth talking of!
Tuck Really boring . . .
Much B. . . . uninteresting . . .
L.John . . . common or garden . . .
Nun B. . . . people you wouldn't even cross the street to meet.
Tuck So, we'll just be on our way - and, er, get out of your way - and ...
Sheriff I'm not satisfied!
Nun B. (With feeling) Oh, I am sorry!
Sheriff You soon will be! I'm running you in.
L.John On what grounds?
Sheriff Deviation, Hesitation, Repetition - and for looking altogether too pleased with yourselves!
Much B. You can't charge us with that!
Sheriff I can charge you with whatever I like, because I'm in charge here. Oak!
Oak Sir!
Sheriff Clap this lot in the stocks!
L.John (Threatening) You and who else?
Sheriff Me and my militia! (At this, a number of soldiers appear from both sides of the stage, bringing the stocks). You're surrounded!

Producer's Notes

This pantomime uses three different full set scenes, separated by half set or front of curtain scenes to allow for backstage activity.

Directions given are those used in the original production, but use your imagination according to the facilities available to you. We used the central aisle of the auditorium for the 'cricket match' with fielders spread round the audience; and for the archery competition, we have used two methods: once we set up targets on stage with strings attached to the bulls so that arrows could slide down from above, and once we used a target with spring-loaded arrows embedded in them.
A list of songs used in the original production is included for your guidance, and where special words were written these are also included, but feel free to adapt or adopt your own as required.

The concept of the Community Song is where the audience is invited to come up on the stage to help out, and some sort of raucous competition ensues between those brave enough to come up and those left sitting in the auditorium. ("Invited" is perhaps a little inaccurate on occasions, when members of the cast go down in search of friends and other victims!). The positioning of this event just before the final scene also gives people not involved plenty of time to change into their finery for the Walkdown.

I used the general convention that immortals, in this case Queen Fay and the fairies, speak in rhyme and mortals in prose, and I have introduced the concept of a Prologue and an Interlogue (no, the latter is not in the dictionary) as much as anything to give time for the chorus to react to the fact that the show has started, and actually get on stage! This is known as pragmatism.

So good luck with your show. Put in local variations as you wish, and if you think you can improve on the verse then do that too! Have fun - otherwise, why do it?

Props available

Contact Headley Theatre Club if you would like to hire (or consult for advice on) some of the props for this pantomime - including targets with spring-loaded arrows, and a pillory for the sheriff.

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