For my first assignment as the new Screen Editor I had the privilege of attending a press screening of the CBeebies’ 2023 pantomime, the tale of Robin Hood.
As the ‘Fun in the Foyer’ section of the morning began in Cineworld Leicester Square, and I was faced with the colouring-in sheet that had been left out for me and a photo opportunity with Supertato, it became clear that I had maybe been expected to bring a child.
However, while I was (obviously) not the target audience, I left the screening imbued with a great sense of optimism by the way the film was encouraging children to view the world: with hope, humour, and respect.
The entire production was filled with joy and did not let its cinema venue detract from the audience participation expected of the medium, frequently calling on the traditional boos and calls from the audience as well as briefly teaching us an arrow themed dance.
Also apparent throughout was the joy of representation, the opportunity for diverse children to see themselves represented and celebrated, clear in cuts to the enraptured live audience of the production.
The story of Robin Hood itself was adapted to become an educational tale of environmental protection and provision, with archery’s primary function the harvesting of acorns, and the defence of an ancient oak (played by Ben Faulks) the central conflict.
The original songs were excellent and catchy, likely to bring out toe-tapping in even the most serious parents / York Vision Section Editors.
Dodge the Dog, who readers may remember from his days as a presenter on CBBC, put in a star turn as Tiny, a woodland squirrel who, like a Shakespearean fool, would frequently turn to the audience to comment on goings on and to be distracted by the smell of cinema-goers’ popcorn.
The familiar face of Justin Fletcher (Mr Tumble) was delightful, if not ever present, when taking on the archetypal pantomime role of the Dame, playing a narcoleptic Queen Bee who spent much time flying across the stage suspended on wires and was at one point handed a pear-pudding as her sole sustenance to fly an entire human being to the North Pole.
The rest of the cast, who may be less recognisable to a student population, also brought great skill and energy to their roles, an energy that was very important in retaining the fairly fickle attention of their audience.
Also entertaining was a repeated theme of encouraging the protagonists and audience to take long deep breaths in and out which, while certainly intended to teach mindfulness, had the additional bonus of keeping a rowdy audience of 6 year olds calm.
All in all, while ‘CBeebies panto 2023: Robin Hood’ is unlikely to be a dominant presence in the Christmas viewing schedules of most York students, I would highly recommend it to anyone with young family members and to anyone looking for an hour of unadulterated joy and hope over the winter period.
Robin Hood will be released in cinemas from the 1st December and broadcast on CBeebies. It is a recording of a live production of the show at Venue Cymru in Llandudno.