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Take a fair damsel in the form of Maid Marion, her doting nurse with a penchant for Irish Friars, stir in a dame-cum-gossip columnist; a malevolent Sherriff of Nottingham and of course, Robin Hood and his merry men…erm…persons…, and you have a recipe for tons of fun!
This musical pastiche corrects some factual inaccuracies that have always lingered over the tale of Robin Hood. For instance: Did you know that Will Scarlett is short for Wilhelmina? Did you know that Robin Hood has a brilliant talent for foreign accents and that the Sherriff of Nottingham would do almost anything to get his hands on an HD television-set? Even David and Victoria Beckham once passed through Sherwood Forest. These and many more surprising facts were revealed in Heroes and Friends.
The musical numbers in Heroes and Friends ranged from 80’s and 90’s pop, rollicking country-numbers and evergreen ballads. The talented cast and crew pulled out all the stops for an incredible theatrical experience that had audiences dancing in the aisles and laughing out loud.
“We have had such a wonderful time putting this show together, the magic that happens when you have a talented cast and crew working as a group illustrates the power of theatre as a collaborative art,” says Els De Bundel; Director and Scriptwriter of Heroes and Friends.
This energetic, infectious pantomime was the ideal way to ring in the Festive Season. The show opened to packed audiences during November and December 2013 and was a roaring success to say the least!
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
The story of Robin Hood has always fascinated me, it is a story with drama, action, humour and all the other elements that allow good tales to last forever. There is a sense of boldness in the best Robin Hoods and whether we’re children in the schoolyard or stuck in a cubicle, there are times when we want to speak out and we can’t. Robin Hood can and does. His defiance and outlaw freedom appeals to anyone who feels frustrated or inhibited. And in the best Robin Hoods, there’s a sense of the trickster about him. Robin doesn’t just fight his enemies with arrows and swords. He mocks them. In some ways, Robin’s wit makes him seem more rebellious and defiant than any physical weapon ever could. Robin Hood’s sense of charity and helping the underdog is something that personally inspires me. Sometimes he’d just flout authority but other times Robin Hood helps those in distress. That’s not a bad thing. Perhaps Prince John captures my sentiments best in the Errol Flynn film, “By my faith, but you’re a bold rascal. Robin, I like you.”
Pulled together on a shoestring budget it was heartwarming to see the cast pull together as they did and produce a minimalist set that sprung to life and added to the quality of the play. The show was exceptional and introduced an almost entire new cast who lit up the stage and audiences alike. Repeat bookings for the show indicated the audience’s appreciation and enjoyment of the show. The show demonstrated what can be done in the development of new talent and providing quality entertainment to the community which the main reason for the Franklin Players very existence.
So, despite several hiccups and tightened budget ‘The Sort of Real Adventures of Robin Hood’ was a fun-filled and most interesting experience. I was blessed with a truly wonderfully talented cast and I can only hope that the play brought as much joy to the audience as it did to us putting it together. ‘Just do it’ became our motto and so in the true spirit of the Nike ad we did it despite all odds. Rising out of the ashes like a Phoenix we filled the Franklin coffers, kept the Sheriff at bay and look forward to a fun-filled 2014.
Keeping acting, singing, dancing and shining people and remember to just do it!
Els De Bundel
THE CAST
Robin Hood – Taryn Muller
Little John – Nkopane Makhetha
Wilhelmina Scarlet – Carri Lyons
Hettie Know-It-All Tittle Tattle – Werner Botes
Maid Marion – Cassandra Zamparini
Maid Marion (understudy) – Iman Driscoll
Nurse – Kathy Clayton
Nurse (understudy) – Zea Serfontein
Sheriff – Basil Zafiropoulos
Nick It – Devan Fleetwood
Scale It – Gareth Meijsen
Clerk – Steven Chiaberta
Friar Tuck – Kenyon MacMurray
Mrs Stonebroke – Sarah Marcou
Mrs Penniless – Wendy Brehm
Victoria Beckham – Palesa Makhetha
King Richard / David Beckham – Lisa Mellows
Narrator – Iman Driscoll
Triffyn – himself
THE CREW
Director / Scriptwriter – Els De Bundel
Assistant Director – Taryn Brehm
Set Design / Building – Chrysos Daneel
Props – Carri Lyons and Lisa Mellows
Choreography – Andrew Mayes
Production Secretary – Wendy Brehm
PR – Werner Bores and Steven Chiaberta
Front of House – Emma Morris
Lighting – Robert Cunningham
Sound – Darren Fourie
Sponsorship – Dave Morgan
Raffle Sponsors – Norman Goodfellows, 4everfotos, Kevin Stirling Baking