A new play about Robin Hood is to be the centrepiece of celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of Nottingham’s Theatre Royal.
Seven writers have penned HOOD—The Legend Continues which takes “the world’s most famous folklore hero” on a journey through a century and a half of Nottingham’s vibrant and colourful history.
Robert Sanderson, managing director of the Theatre Royal, said, “I was determined that the theatre’s 150th anniversary should be marked by something tangible, something creative and lasting. This new play will be the perfect showcase for our city’s remarkably talented creative community.
“In each of the six stories, we’ll see characters instantly recognisable as Robin Hood, Maid Marian, the merry men and the Sheriff of Nottingham but each takes place in a different era and in a more modern setting.
“The writers’ individual styles have given these well-known characters an intriguingly fresh approach and the play as a whole brings the legend of Robin Hood, his feistiness and rebelliousness, bang up to date.”
The theatre has teamed up with touring company New Perspectives which has assembled a writing team featuring James Graham who grew up in Annesley, Nottinghamshire and wrote the book for the Broadway musical Finding Neverland in collaboration with Gary Barlow and producer Harvey Weinstein, award-winning writers Andy Barrett and Tim Elgood, emerging young writers Laura Lomas and Mufaro Makubika and Brian Mitchell and Joseph Nixon.
Jack McNamara, New Perspectives artistic director, commented, “between them these seven writers have created the most extraordinary version of the Robin Hood story I could ever have imagined. Yet through this variety of styles the classic tale of Hood comes through with crystal clarity.”
The cast of HOOD—The Legend Continues features Adam Morris, best known for playing Robin Hood in the children’s TV series Maid Marian and Her Merry Men, as the Sheriff, Ewen MacIntosh, who played accountant Keith in the TV series The Office, Jasmine Blackborow who will play Marian, Jonah Russell, Ed Thorpe and Alex Bedward.
McNamara directs. Music is by Tom Mills, design by Rhys Jarman, choreography by the Chantry Dance Company and lighting by Mark Pritchard.
HOOD—The Legend Continues has its world première on Thursday 17 September and runs until Saturday 26 September. The actual anniversary is on Friday 25 September.