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DUBLIN ... Colman Higgins describes the scope and history of Dublin Gay Theatre Festival ... and reviews two of its shows ... Down Dangerous Passes Road ... Confessions of A Mormon Boy /// LONDON ... film on now ... La Question Humaine / Heartbeat Detector /// BRIGHTON ... It's on till 26 May and here's at least 20 Things you might want to know about Brighton Fringe /// PEOPLE ... Who was there at Fringe Report's First Monday 5 May - photographs & article /// CULTURE ... One Culture ... film screening 30 May booking now ... details
Robin Hood and The Witness Protection Programme
Verdict: Shameless silliness at its best
Most people know the story of Robin Hood and that nasty Sheriff of Nottingham; Damaged Otter Theatre Company takes the tale and twists it into surreal absurdity. Marian has left Robin because she can't stand the intense media pressure of her marriage to the hero of the medieval world. The Sheriff is jailed but escapes with the help of a choir-boy who is promised a chocolate-covered communion wafer for a monk's habit (the Sheriff reneges on the wafer). After several attempts on Robins life, King Richard puts the man in Lincoln-green into the witness protection programme. Robin ends up selling ecclesiastical footwear in Edinburgh under the assumed name of Tom Sole.
The show is interspersed with songs from a minstrel petit Helen Smith and her mandolin. Female customer Bridget (Bex White), with her earthy guttural Coronation-Street-esque accent, recognises Robin (Benjamin Field) behind his Hitler moustache disguise - and warns him of the Sheriff (Jason Smith)'s return, seeking revenge.
There's a wonderful moment when the Sheriff falls in love with a pair of green shoes, and a couple of choruses of Green Heels, a parody of Greensleeves, are very funny. After the imbibing of fortified mead, things start to get bizarre (if they aren't already). A swordfight with long-handled shoe-horns in a confined space is quite a feat (no pun intended). In the end, it's revealed who Bridget really is. Benjamin Field is entertainingly incandescent. Jason Smith's Sheriff is a huge, brash bully with a shoe fetish. Shameless silliness at its best.
Cast Credits: (alpha order): Benjamin Field Robin Hood/Tom Sole. Helen Smith Minstrel. Jason Smith Edmund Shakeshaft, Sheriff of Nottingham. Bex White Bridget.
Songs: The Prologue. Recognition Duet. Green Heels. The Confrontation. The Love Song.
Company Credits: Writer - Jason Smith. Music and Lyrics by - Helen smith and the Company. Director - Benjamin Field. Producer - Bex White. Costumes by - Helen Gilfoyle and Its Behind You. Company - Damaged Otter Productions. www.damagedotterproductions.bravehost.com.
END
(c) Lea Harris 2007
reviewed Friday 17 August 07 / The Vault
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008