Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood at Nottingham Playhouse

Last weekend we were invited to see the opening night of this year's pantomime at the Nottingham Playhouse, Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood.

You may remember last year we were invited to see Cinderella; it was the first time my children had seen the Christmas panto and it was such a wonderful experience, so I was really looking forward to seeing it again this year.

As the curtains were raised, the dancers twirled across the stage dressed as the woodland creature residents of Sherwood Forest. Immediately, my daughters face lit up just the same as last year.

Hailing from Nottingham, Robin Hood is naturally a huge part of our cultural history, so this particular panto was always going to be hit with residents of the city.

The costumes were wonderful and the actors all bought their own element of excitement and humour, and with audience participation a must (otherwise you might just get taken on stage) the show was thoroughly enjoyed by us all.

John Elkington once again bought the panto dame to life as Nurse Nelly Noggins, he is hilarious and keeps the audience amused with his quick wit and great humour, Robin Kingsland was the perfect baddie and had us all booing as the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.

There were lots of modern songs to keep it entertaining for all ages, they even got us dancing at one point. It really is the best way to get into the festive mood and with Christmas songs interspersed throughout, it was hard not to get into the spirit of the season.

I don’t want to spoil it by giving away the songs so I won’t, all I can say is that the show is well worth the money and it is by far my new favourite tradition.

The panto runs until 19th January and there relaxed performances, dementia-friendly and BSL-signed performances still to come. And with seats to suit all budgets, it really is accessible to all.

I can also highly recommend The Elves and The Shoemaker in the Neville Studio next door. Aimed at children from 3-8, we have been to these shows the last few years and they are an absolutely amazing immersive experience for the children and a great way to get them into theatre.

We were given two complimentary tickets to the show for the purpose of this review, all words and opinions are my own. Photos by Nottingham Playhouse