BTC’s Robin Hood panto to bring the laughs

A TONGUE-in-cheek interpretation of Robin Hood will be presented by the Bendigo Theatre Company over two weekends in January.

Written and directed by BTC life member Vern Wall as a pantomime version of the classic folk tale, the production will feature a large ensemble of local talent including Jade Cuskelly as Robin Hood, Alannah Warren as Maid Marion and Ryan Foxlow as The Sheriff of Nottingham.

Mr Wall said the “full on” preparations for the show started in the middle of October and will continue until just days before the opening night.

“We have rehearsals on Thursday nights between 7 and 10pm and Sundays from 12 to 4pm,” he said.

“For some of us, we’re also doing set building on Wednesdays and Saturday mornings.”

He said the comic element of the production draws from “a lifetime of really bad jokes that you try and interweave amongst it all.”

“You get a lot of groans from the audience,” he said.

“There will be sight gags – cream pie in the face and funny running around type gags, plus a lot of sound effect gags.

“It’s quite a bit of that different layered humour. What the kids laugh at will be a little bit different to what the adults laugh at.”

Robin Hood – A Pantomime will be performed at the Bendigo Theatre Company Arts Shed in Allingham Street Golden Square from Thursday 9 January to Sunday 12 January, followed by Thursday 16 January to Sunday 19 January.

Tickets can be purchased on the Trybooking website.