Greenwich Theatre’s resident panto dame Andrew Pollard has moved away to pastures new this festive season. ‘Oh no he hasn’t!’ Oh yes he has, I’m afraid. But the theatre’s long-standing villain, Anthony Spargo, is terrorising the stage once more, this time with his own adaptation of Robin Hood, in which he plays the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham as well as ‘the writer’ narrating the tale. Can the titular hero, Maid Marion and Friar Tuck save the poor citizens of Nottingham from a greedy Sheriff who’s relentlessly raising their taxes? (And does that plot sound, er, a little close to home?) Holly O’Mahony speaks to Anthony Spargo about finding contemporary relevance in the classic tale, creating a comedic baddie and conjuring magic on stage…
Holly O’Mahony: What made you choose Robin Hood for this year’s Greenwich Theatre pantomime?
Anthony Spargo: The choice of pantomime title at Greenwich is always an important one. There are theatres that rotate through the same five titles but here we like to mix it up. That’s why we’ve taken on things like Little Red Riding Hood in the past, and that’s why we’re heading to Sherwood Forest this year. Together with the team at the theatre and with ‘uncle’ Steve Markwick, our musical director, we all agreed that Robin Hood has a brilliant story, the kind of villain that everyone loves to hate, and so much potential to play around with the original – something I’ve really run with in the script!
HOM: With its theme of a good force, Robin, working against a corrupt power that treats its poor badly, there’s a lot about the story that’s relatable. To what extent have you tweaked the tale to speak of contemporary politics?
AS: The cost of living crisis is certainly a topic that’s on everyone’s minds at the moment. The Sheriff of Nottingham’s stance on monetary dealings leaves a lot to be desired. Greed and power certainly go hand in hand – we can see this today in our own politicians. Panto gives us an opportunity to highlight serious issues. Here, we have a Friar Tuck complaining that food prices are increasing – “chocolate’s not cheap and eggs are going up again” – to which the reply is: “that’ll surprise a few chickens!”
HOM: You’re Greenwich Theatre’s resident villain and here, you’re playing the evil Sheriff. What sort of baddie will he be?
AS: I always like to play the villain as a sort of loveable fool. Mixing both comedy and villainy is always such fun. The Sheriff of Nottingham is a classic villain, of course, but one with a slight screw loose which in turn leads to comic possibilities. He’s greedy, self-obsessed and, certainly in our version, verging on the insane!
HOM: Who have you got joining you in the cast?
AS: Martin Johnston is back for his fourth Greenwich panto, direct from appearing in The Crucible at the National Theatre. We’ve also got a fantastic young actor David Breeds playing Robin Hood, who comes to us having covered the lead in the West End musical Dear Evan Hansen. He also played the lead in the national tour of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Let’s not forget uncle Steve and his band, who this year are taking on the guise of ‘The Wandering Minstrels’.
HOM: Are there any more tricks up your sleeve to make this panto especially magical?
AS: The show is full of tricks. You can’t stage Robin Hood without firing a few bows and arrows. Act One quite literally culminates in an archery competition in which the ‘target’ itself is a fantastic theatrical trick. The Sheriff hits the bullseye, but not a single arrow is actually fired. That’s magic!
HOM: What sort of message do you hope audiences, especially little theatregoers, take away from seeing the show?
AS: Robin Hood is the story of struggle over adversity, strength through numbers and resilience in the face of tyranny. Hopefully some of that will come across in our production, but more than anything, after the impact of the pandemic, I hope that younger audience members will just have the chance to rediscover the magic of live theatre, something that we all missed for such a long time.
Robin Hood is running at Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London, SE10 8ES. November 24 – January 8, performance times vary. Admission: £31. www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk/events/robin-hood/
Panto talk with Greenwich Theatre veteran Anthony Spargo
