Robin Hood description
Take one national treasure. Add some Panto royalty. Throw in a few more theatre favourites and what do you get? Welcome to Robin Hood, 2024’s London Palladium Panto, an annual event adored by people of every age and a classic for Christmas.
Jane McDonald takes the role of Maid Marion and Palladium panto royalty Julian Clary plays Robin Hood in a spectacular production that also stars panto favourites Paul Zerdin (Muppet Treasure Island), Nigel Havers (Private Lives), Charlie Stemp (Kiss Me Kate, Crazy for You) and Rob Madge (My Son’s A Queer - But What Can You Do?), plus West End stars Marisha Wallace (Celebrity Big Brother, Guys & Dolls, Dream Girls) and Tosh Wanogho-Maud (The Drifters Girl), both of whom make their Palladium panto debuts.
Expect ‘amazing’...
This is the latest festive show in a nine year tradition at the venue, continuing its beloved Christmas panto season. And there are some hard acts to follow. In previous years we’ve seen Cinderella, Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk and more, all produced and directed by Michael Harrison for Crossroads Pantomimes. This time around the special effects are being tipped as particularly spectacular, a treat for everyone who loves top quality on-stage escapism.
The production has set design by Mark Walters, costumes by Hugh Durrant, choreography by Karen Bruce, visual special effects by The Twins FX, lighting by Ben Cracknell, sound by Matt Peploe for Gareth Owen Sound, and composition and orchestrations by Gary Hind.
The story behind the story
Robin Hood is the legendary outlaw hero of a series of ancient English ballads going way back to the 1300s. While there’s no evidence there ever was such a person he has always been a hugely popular character, inspiring at least 50 different TV series and movies throughout the decades, including 1938’s famous film version starring Errol Flynn and the 1976 film Robin and Marian, starring Sean Connery as Robin Hood and Audrey Hepburn as Maid Marian.
The legend sees Hood and his Merry Men robbing and killing greedy, evil, rich people in authority then giving the money and valuables they’d stolen to the poor. The worst of all was the evil Sheriff of Nottingham, although the earliest ballads actually set the scene in South Yorkshire.
Unlike the gentry of the time, Hood apparently treated women, the poor and ordinary people with courtesy and kindness. Over the centuries the story has been retold and adapted countless times but the core remains the same: a criminal with a big heart who is on our side in a cruel and brutal world. It’s just a shame he never actually existed!
Starring
Charlie Stemp, Julian Clary, Nigel Havers, Paul Zerdin, Jane McDonald, Marisha Wallace, Rob Madge, Tosh Wanogho-Maud
