My first memory of the theatre is being told that all the children were going to be turned into chocolate by a Pantomine baddy, after which I hid in terror for the rest of the show. I thought my media-savvy five year old son - who recently complained that there weren’t many monsters in Doctor Who - would probably be fine even if the baddies were pretty bad. I hadn’t banked on Kris Manuel’s Guy of Gisbourne and Andrew Pepper’s Sheriff of Nottingham - they were excellently evil! I did my best audience participation trying to show Pascal that boo-ing and hissing was fun, but he looked stony-faced and said ‘scary’. I thought ‘what have I done!?’

Fortunately, great music, exciting archery and the wonder of the glitter ball brought Pascal out from behind the seat in Act 2. After a bit of What did the Fox Say and a laugh at the Sheriff’s expense, he was happily drumming along with the songs on his kindly-provided booster seat, and yelling out for Robin to win the fight! He was thrilled to recognise his favourite Daft Punk song ‘Get Lucky’, cunningly mixed with Stevie Wonder’s ‘Signed Sealed Delivered’ to celebrate Marion’s rescue. And it wasn’t even the end yet - there was a fun sing-a-long and spectacular finale still to come. His final verdict: ‘Good, but a sleeping baby wouldn’t like it!’

*recommended viewing if you aren’t scared of dinosaurs.

Bonkers, bizarre and brilliant – the Oxford Playhouse’s pantomime is a fun-filled and action-packed show.

I particularly enjoyed the way this year’s pantomime was imbued with Medieval mythology and had a quite consistent Ye Olde, folky atmosphere - including mock morris dancing with handkerchiefs, a great Mumford and Son’s cover, and then a ceilidh dance to top it all off. The set design is also really stunning with realistic backcloths and hypnotizing woodland growing out into the auditorium.

The casting is excellent and the actors really make this show stand out; Andrew Pepper’s humour and the floaty physicality he brings to the role of Sherriff of Nottingham makes him a laughable villain accompanied by his meaner and keener sidekick, the vain and arrogant Sir Guy of Gisbourne. Pepper seems to relish playing the baddie with childish glee.

Another comedy duo is made up of Little John, played by Chrisopher Barlow (an especially tall, gruff man) and Will, acted by Anna Wheatley (an especially petite and bubbly woman)! Their matching jester costumes are adorable and they bounce off each other brilliantly bringing even more energy to the room.

Meanwhile, Daniel Stockton’s rotund, salacious dame Terese Tuck was not so much in the limelight but still worked the crowd well when she got her moments, and Jos Vantyler’s Robin Hood is suitably valiant and heroic.

Lots of music and mayhem has been brought to the traditional story and the second act in particular is a whirlwind of medleys, tricks and surprises. Some of the stranger scenes in the show include a David Bowie themed dream sequence and the dame falling for a tree, but these moments which initially strike as utterly bizarre are just part of all the fun. Throw in a Sherriff who plays the spoons and then a tightrope walking hero and it somehow all makes sense again.

Robin Hood is another irrepressible Oxford Playhouse pantomime packed with perfect punch lines, silly slapstick and startling surprises.