‘Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen…’

This song accompanied the Richard Greene BBC TV series when I was a kid in the 50s, and it has lived with me ever since. It was ubiquitous. Ask anyone over 70 and they’ll sing it for you. You can get it on YouTube. Of course, we used to sing the scatological version which I can’t repeat here, although I did sing it to my son as we motored up to Lancaster to see The Dukes’ summer show in Williamson Park.

It’s the same production team that gave us The Wizard of Oz last year – writer Daniel Bye, director Elvi Piper and designer Caitlin Mawhinney, with music and rather lovely songs by Bay Brian and Clare O’Connor. So they know the ropes, and we anticipated some proper Errol Flynn action.

It’s actually more of a panto than a full-on swashbuckler, but the cast plays it to the hilt. Joe Parker, a newbie to the park show who looks not unlike a young Richard Greene, curly hair and all, shines as a reluctant Robin (no spoilers here) with a modest boyish charm and a jolly good sword arm. Another newbie, Ian Crowe, gives a thoroughly psychopathic Sheriff of Nottingham who, in my opinion, did not get nearly enough boos.

I saw Hope Yolanda give her Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz last year, and she sang like a dream. She still does, and her Maid Marian is a feisty, determined young woman. Robin had better look out. There is, of course, a minstrel, played by park show veteran Lisa Howard with a guitar and some really, really terrible jokes, but we love her just the same. And it all seems to be glued together by Eve Pereira as Jen, Robin’s sister, who is very good at telling people what to do.

But the prize has to go to another Dukes‘ stalwart, Matthew Ganley who, while essaying his usual run of nasty bastards, also gives us the nominatively determined Lord Foppingham, who has everything you’d expect except a lisp, and brings the house down.

The story has all the usual ingredients, an archery contest, sword fights, prison escapes, and even the return of the King. But there are some unusual plot twists, so you can take nothing for granted.

As last year, the café by the Ashton memorial is closed so the show does not go up the hill. Instead, it starts on the grass to the right of the memorial, and before the show and in the interval there are eating and drinking opportunities in the tarmac area at the bottom of the hill, where you queue at one place to give your order and collect it at another. There are a lot of people trying to do that in the interval, which leads to it being rather longer than usual, but Lord Foppingham is in attendance which keeps everyone highly amused.

If you haven’t been before, this is a lovely way to spend a fine afternoon or evening with the family. Take some chairs and a picnic. If you have been before, you know exactly what to expect. You have until August 23.

By Chris Wallis, Theatre Editor

Main image: Robin Hood. Credit Gabi Dawkins.

 

Robin Hood is at The Dukes in Williamson Park, Lancaster until August 23, 2026. For more information, click here.