ROBIN HOOD – Smutty fun, but no story
LONDON PALLADIUM – until 12th January 2025
The London Palladium’s annual pantomime extravaganza returns with Robin Hood, an eye-popping production that (as always) prioritises star power and spectacle over narrative coherence. This year’s offering, bringing back the irrepressible Julian Clary in the titular role, delivers a feast for the eyes but leaves the story of Sherwood’s legendary outlaw largely in the shadows.
From the moment the curtain rises, it’s clear that this is not a retelling of Robin Hood but a hotch-potch of anything that might extract a gasp of amazement from the audience – dinosaurs, the Knights of Camelot and even Nigel Havers dressed as Superman. Julian Clary unusually taking on the title role dominates the stage with his trademark smut, outrageous costumes, and well rehearsed accidental humour, fortunately much of it sails over the heads of younger audience members.
The supporting cast sail through the production, with Jane McDonald making a spirited pantomime debut as Maid Marion and Marisha Wallace showcasing her powerhouse vocals as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Rob Madge charms as the Spirit of Sherwood, while Palladium regulars Paul Zerdin and Charlie Stemp provide reliable comic relief. New to the Palladium Panto is Tosh Wanogho-Maud who takes a gentle ribbing from Clary in good spirits.
Visually, the production is a triumph. Mark Walters’ set design transforms the stage into a fairytale forest, complemented by dazzling costumes that push the boundaries of imagination. The Twins FX team outdoes themselves with jaw-dropping special effects, including a fire-breathing dragon, high-flying stunts and a 3D cinema spectacle.
However, beneath the glitter and glamour, the show struggles to find its footing as a coherent narrative. It has to be remembered that the producers, Crossroads, produce most of the major pantomimes around the country and it’s indicative that many of this years routines and comedic moments get repeated in numerous pantos varying from this Robin Hood through Cinderellas, Jack In the Beanstalks to Peter Pans. As a result the plots, are typically sacrificed and become a loose framework on which to hang elaborate musical numbers and this year’s acerbic one-liners and as often happens these days we find ourselves watching some of the same routines that we’ve seen in previous pantos.
The only difference between the Palladium original and the repeat productions in the regions is the star casting – but with Palladium ticket prices up to £220 you would expect something special and the stars are what you get – but for the children who I believed panto was aimed at the stars don’t matter and for a fraction of the seat price you can see a comparable production without trekking the family into the West End. But if Jane McDonald and Julian Clary are your cup of tea, dig deep and enjoy what the Palladium has to offer.