Penelope is a 7-year old with an insatiable appetite for musical theatre. As our roving reporter for junior shows, she brings a child’s perspective to our coverage, offering unique insights.

Robin Hood, a new family musical by Melbourne Shakespeare Company, took my whole family on an very amusing adventure into the enchanted forest of Sherwood and across the seas back to Australia!! It was fun from the moment we arrived at Central Park in Malvern and started following the red signs that led to a section that had been transformed into a forest of delights; with carefully placed props and set pieces, deigned by Leah Downey, promising to deliver non stop treasures in playful secret corners. The costumes by Jemima Eva were so stylish, with the bright stockings, all the matching accessories and different fabrics all looked amazing against our natural surroundings.

The entire cast had me laughing out loud throughout the performance. From the very first scene, Robin Hood played by Billy Thomas, captured my imagination by swinging his bow & arrow like a really funny superhero. The actors were quick and witty, bouncing off each other continuously in hilarious moments with super punny jokes! The way they involved the audience was so clever and playful. At our performance, my daddy was randomly chosen to be ‘Greg; with the slicked-back hair’ and it made everyone around us giggle A LOT when Dame Tuck, played by Jackson Cross, mentioned his name! I especially adored Little Joan, played by Lucy May Knight—her funny, bubbly energy lit up the stage. Kaia Reyes brought a sassy & cool vibe to the Sherriff of Nottingham and Governor Grab. Meanwhile Daniel Hillman was extremely expressive as Poor Rich & Bushranger Bruce.

I also really loved the puppet sidekicks, a kookaburra named Chuckles and the cutest, cheeky sheep named Sheila! The puppeteering & playing of musical instruments added even more delight to the entire performance that already felt like such a fun, interactive treasure hunt. It was really enjoyable how the production invited us to be part of the action as a loyal member of the Robin Hood fan club, with moments where we even sang & danced along, The original songs by Maxwell Simon were simply brilliant, full of fun and laughter. A little rain couldn’t even dampen the excitement. I left the park feeling inspired, cheerful and eager for the next outdoor adventure from the Melbourne Shakespeare Company.