A play full of plot-twists, songs, fights and spells.
Robin Hood is usually known as the man, the myth and the legend. As a character, he has fuelled many plots of pantomimes, films and TV series and yet research arguably states that Robin Hood as a singular figure in history is nothing more than fiction, so why are we all so gripped by this story? Well, Carl Grose reminds us why, as he sets out in his newest version of the story looking for the truth of where Robin Hood might have come from, while keeping an adventurous and wild plot at the centre point of it all.
Fear is running through the village with the corrupt sheriff (Baldwyn) and his assistant (Simpkins) drugging the king so that they can keep taxing the poor in order to build a new road through the forest. Woodnut is a young girl living with her father (Bob) in poverty. Unprepared to be punished for not giving money over to Baldwyn, Woodnut's journey begins when she runs off to the forest to prevent Baldwyn from hanging her for disobeying him. The forest becomes a place of safety for her, as well as for other outlaws that have been and gone, one of whom was her late mother, who is protecting her throughout the play.
As the story goes on, Grose packs the play full of plot-twists, songs, fights and spells. Most notably, this new adaptation focuses on ‘Hood’ as a concept that unites the outlaws together against the corruption, and which captures the most accurate theory of how Robin Hood is based on various people who stood up for social justice throughout medieval England. Grose also addresses the climate crisis (in ways that reminded me of The Lorax) whereby people of the forest are protecting the land against Baldwyn and the barons who are wanting to cut down the trees to build a road. This version places Woodnut as the protagonist, a young girl who learns to trust her gut and stand up for what she believes in, all while grieving the loss of her mother.
Robin Hood: The Legend. Re-written is strongest in its humorous moments rather than when it tries to be sincere. However, even in these jovial parts it gets itself a little confused about who the target audience is. The overall style is child-friendly, yet it becomes very adult in its explicit language. None-the-less, this play is a great read. Fantastical, action-packed and theatrical, full of potential for an ambitious director and cast to stage.