Children Delighted With "Robin Hood”

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30533, 31 August 1964, Page 10

Children Delighted With "Robin Hood”

A responsive audience of children greeted Saturday evening’s performance of “Robin Hood” with either absorbed attention or enthusiastic participation. The cast and production staff of Canterbury Children’s Theatre, along with the adults in the audience, must all have been pleased by the exciting and excited atmosphere which pervaded the theatre, both onstage and in the auditorium. The performance was quite successful enough to justify all the time and talents that had been spent on it. The script, by Harold Pointer, was a little disappointing. It was too long, especially considering its lack of a strong, clear narrative line: and the vocabulary was sometimes too sophisticated. Too much time was spent satirising the medieval church, or in superficial references to the historical background to Robin Hood. Any pedestrian deficiences in the writing were balanced by Mr Pointer’s highly dramatic production. In his bold flooding of the stage with bright colour in costumes and sets, in his imaginative staging of individual and group fighting, and in his warm appreciation of broad comic

effects, the producer showed that he understood well those Ingredients of the drama that he wanted to put before his audience. In ail this he was helped by a large cast which offset its inexperience by its energetic involvement in the play. As Robin Hood, Neil Dolheguy, although he was the underdog for much of the play, managed to build up a credible, if not fully-romantic hero. Ross McPherson’s Friar Tuck was followed with much laughter by the children. Carolyn Wright (Maid Marion), Alex Lojkine (the Beggar) and Doreen Corrick (the Queen) made the most of their parts. But the real stars of the show were the scene painters (led by John Hendry) and the seamstresses (the wardrobe was designed by Marlene Cowan). Much of the positive attack which one missed elsewhere was supplied abundantly in the vibrant backcloths and cutouts, and in the fairy-tale gaiety of the costumes. Parents are very fortunate to have, in this production of “Robin Hood,” an opportunity to introduce their children to the enchantment nf llive theatre. —P.R.S.