Manchester Theatre News & Reviews
REVIEW - Robin Hood brings the Christmas magic to Manchester - grab your merry tribe for lots of festive family fun!
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On Tuesday, we went to the Manchester Opera House to see this year's pantomime. Read what our reviewer Karen Ryder had to say about Robin Hood...
Is it even Christmas without the Opera House Manchester pantomime? For me – nope! It has kick started my Christmas festivities for as long as I can remember and every year it somehow manages to bring us something new whilst remaining beautifully familiar. It is a warm Christmas hug that you can share with the whole family, and I guarantee you will leave brimming with a holiday sparkle bright enough to light up all the fairy lights in Manchester! It has always been sensational, with high production value, impressive set pieces, and extraordinary talent, and with Ben Nickless and Jason Manford partnering up once again for the fourth year running, it has most definitely found its own rhythm and candy cane sweet spot! If you have seen any of their previous 3 pantos together, you will quickly fall into step with their brilliance and desperately hope that some of their running gags make an appearance, and you will not be disappointed. Sprinkled with the perfect blend of new and traditional material, Robin Hood hits the bullseye and will pierce your heart with unapologetic, unadulterated joy! What a merry Manchester Christmas gift to receive!
We all know and love our famous outlaw, Robin Hood, but for anyone who slept through history lesson that day, the show opens with a wonderfully condensed reminder of his legend courtesy of the Spirit Of Sherwood. Robin stole from the rich to give to the poor as the greedy Sheriff Of Nottingham continued to raise taxes to feed his own wealth. The Sheriff brands Robin a thief who needs to be taught a lesson and so throws him in prison. With King Richard out of town, his niece Maid Marion fights to protect Robin’s whereabouts from the Sherrif, but Robin is unable to resist the Sheriff’s trap and so enters his archery contest, knowing he will win. Robin’s identity is discovered and he is locked up along with his friends Maid Marion and Will Scarlet (Willy!). After a gruesome night in the cells with ghosts and ghouls (ok that part might be for the purpose of a good pantomime) he and Will escape and hatch a plan to rescue Maid Marion. King Richard returns (who looks suspiciously like Will Scarlet), Maid Marion is saved, and they all live happily ever after (in the gap! – yes! It is back but with yet another brilliant twist!)
The show opens with a fizz of magic sparkle as the Spirit Of Sherwood gracefully appears and sets the scene, leading us straight into a stunning opening number full of colour, pizazz, and enchantment through an effortlessly brilliant ensemble, and the introduction of our magnificent Maid Marion. The atmosphere in the theatre was electric and deservedly so because what a way to start a show! One by one we are introduced to the main characters, and encouraged to react in certain ways every time they appear on stage. It turns out that I found my level of humour quite early on as I got the ridiculous giggles at the call to action for Robin Hoods entrance (Jason Manford) which I won’t spoil here, and to be honest, I wouldn’t know how to put it into words anyway! Ben Nickless as Will Scarlet entertains with a quirky and witty set piece involving food items and puns until the bromance we have all fallen in love with is finally reunited and we see Jason Manford and Ben Nickless knock jokes back and forth with a genuine warmth and respect for each other. Our panto villain takes to the stage will an amusing mix of the obvious boos, and a smattering of cheers for the fabulous Adam Strong, and our cast is complete!
This year’s pantomime seems stronger than ever, and I’m aware if you’ve ever heard me talk about these pantos before that I sound like a broken record, because I say that every year, but what can I say?! They continually find new ways to impress, to approach an age-old tradition with fresh and inventive vigour without ever trying to reinvent the wheel at the same time. It’s very smart and they thankfully follow the motto, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but that doesn’t mean they can’t give it a glow up to keep it fresh and feisty right! So, you’ll be pleased to know that the show is jam packed with musical numbers galore, including music from Take That, and songs from the musicals Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Something Rotten (with a pantomime twist). The Twelve Days Of Christmas makes an appearance, as does a brand new twist of “In the Flippin’ Gap” (if you know, you know). There are rip roaring impressions from Ben Nickless, who is possibly more Michael McIntyre than the man himself, and an exceptional display of his physical comedy as we see him fall, trip, plummet, and impale himself for our amusement. There are clever sprinkles throughout the show of events, trends or happenings from the past year, including a parody of that Coldplay concert moment, and the inexplicable popularity of wobbling hands to “6 – 7!” which sent the children in the audience into hysterical appreciation! A couple of young audience members are also brought onto the stage to help with the singing of a song, designed to create fart jokes, much to the pleasure of everyone, as no one can ever resist a bit of toilet humour! Congratulations to tonights participants from the audience, Snow and Joseph, who were absolute superstars!
This years’ pantomime of Robin Hood is a wonderfully balanced mix of story, characters, songs, dances, and set pieces, without any of them seeming top heavy, giving the feel of a much smoother show. It was great to see the traditional ghost and ghouls element of panto return, everyone keeping the lookout with excited cries of “He’s behind you! Oh yes he is!” and this created a fabulous opportunity for a mash up of Thriller and Ghostbusters, which brought the house down! It also gave even further opportunity for those water pistols and super soakers to be let lose on the audience, so beware, those in the first few rows will get wet! And anyone familiar with the Manchester panto knows that the first half always ends with a spectacular moment that will blow your socks off, and once again, mission accomplished!
Taking a pause in his UK tour A Manford All Seasons (which starts up again in January), especially to appear in panto for us once again is Jason Manford (Tinsel Town, Waterloo Road, The Producers, The Wizard Of Oz). As Robin Hood and rocking his green tights, Jason Manford is so at home on the stage, especially in panto where all his talents get to play out together. As you’d expect there is hilarious comedy, sensational singing, and a natural comradery with his fellow cast, but equally with the audience too as he makes us feel like old friends, gathering for a Christmas knees up. We even get a rendition of his time in Chitty with “Me Ol’ Bamboo,” and a sneak peak at what is to come next year as he shares a cracking song from Something Rotten, with a few panto tweaks. He clearly loves what he does and you feel the warmth from his performance, more so than ever when he shares the stage with his partner in crime, Ben Nickless.
It’s bizarre to think these two only teamed up 4 years ago for this feels like a friendship that has lived a thousand lives, and I’m sure it will continue to do so, for Manchester can’t get enough of them! A huge congratulations to our very own Mr. Panto, Ben Nickless (Britains’ Got Talent finalist) who is celebrating his 25th year in showbusiness, his 21st panto, and whose very own play ‘Trouble With Kids’ is premiering early next year! Once again you will be wowed by his never-ending talent, and his physical comedy seems bigger and bolder than ever, I mean he takes some serious hits in this show! He just has funny bones, and many a moment you will find yourself in a fit of giggles without him saying a word, for he knows how to turn silliness into an art form. His impressions are more on point than ever, his singing stunning, and his ability to work a crowd unstoppable. His natural rapport with children is perfection, and he knows exactly how to make them laugh, but also how and when to nurture them. We struck gold when Ben Nickless became Manchester’s newest panto pal 7 years ago, and then lightening really did strike twice as he was teamed up with Jason Manford 4 years ago. May the panto gods be ever in our favour!
Our evil villain, the Sheriff Of Nottingham had me conflicted on whether to boo or cheer, for he was none other than the incredible Adam Strong (Rocky Horror Show, Disney’s Aladdin, We Will Rock You). Adam Strong absolutely rocks a villain, and having seen him previously as Khashoggi, Jafar, and Frank N’ Furter, I was thrilled to hear those insanely talented vocals once more. He plays evil with flair, an opulent extravagance dripping from everything he does, making us love and loathe him in conflicted measures. He knows his own voice so well and so we are continually treated to vocal gymnastics whether he is singing, speaking, or slaying with evil! Landi Oshinowo (Sister Act, Matilda, The Color Purple) is our gorgeous Spirit Of Sherwood and gives us many a spirited moment throughout with her sophisticated vocals taking us anywhere from the magical opening number to the dark and devilish Thriller. Her comedy and ability to be the fall person in the joke is expertly applauded, particularly in The Twelve Days Of Christmas where she is the continually teased by Ben Nickless. Completing the main cast is the fabulous Sarah Vaughan (Walk The Line, Cinderella, Follies) as Maid Marion. It is thrilling to see her play the role with a feistiness that defies her needing to be rescued by anyone and somehow manage to be a solid anchor amidst all the craziness going on around her. You can also feel her pure love for the show as you catch glimpses of her beaming in support of her fellow cast and ensemble, a glorious thing to see. Her vocals are out of this world and her harmonies, especially with Landi Oshinowo, are as smooth and luxurious as a delicious Christmassy hot chocolate.
Robin Hood gives you all the Christmas vibes you are craving, and brings everyone together in joy, happiness, and wonder. Allow yourself the gift that this show brings, embrace your inner child no matter what your age, and allow yourself to just let go. It is welcoming, inclusive, celebratory, and spreads kindness and acceptance without question. With quick witted one liners, Christmas magic, and bursting with tradition, there is something so special about this zany theatrical genre us Brits have nurtured, and it is an experience like no other. It really does have something for everyone and is so aware of the eclectic mix of ages it attracts, that it somehow caters for every age possible, making it a true family spectacular. My Christmas wouldn’t be complete without the Opera House pantomime by Crossroads Pantomime, for it brings some much-needed magic into the world and always leaves me fizzing with excitement and a reminder that the most important things in life are right at our fingertips. So, destress, rejoice in your people, grab your merry tribe, and treat yourself to a little Christmas joy with Robin Hood, where everyone leaves feeling a little bit richer.
WE SCORE ROBIN HOOD..
Robin Hood is on at the Manchester Opera House until January 4th 2026.
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