Babes in the Wood, Victoria Hall ADS, Victoria Hall, Bolton. Runs until January 21 . . .
WITH its familiar winning mixture of romance, music and mayhem, Victoria Hall ADS has once again constructed a charming, colourful start to the year.
Taking the 16th century folk legend as a starting point, director and producer Ray Darby keeps the traditional flag flying in this excellent post- Christmas family romp.
As the beastly Sheriff of Nottingham, Brendan Higgins is both villainous and comic, and the same is true of the splendid comic turns from John Shawcross and Emma Mellor as Norman and Sid, the incompetent and humane cut-throats employed to dispatch the Babes.
Gillian Clare is a feisty Holly Hittit, and the always-superb Neil Elston as Fred Fixit galvanises the audience brilliantly.
Caroline Darby plays Robin Hood marvellously in the classic principal boy tradition, while Hannah Darby is a charming, thoroughly modern Maid Marion. Barry Massey takes the dame role perfectly as Nurse-It-Better, supported impeccably by Courtney Hargreaves as Snuffles and Matthew Chadbond and Lucy Darby as the Babes. Dave Thompson is simply outstanding as the Fairy - a cameo showstopper that is reminiscent of The Wheeltappers and Shunters Club.
Nigel McFarlane
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