When the curtain rises on Throbbin’ Wood at the end of July, Perth audiences will experience something they may not have encountered before: an adult pantomime.
Throbbin’ Wood – Very Naughty Robin Hood, opening at the Regal Theatre on 24 July, takes the classic Robin Hood tale and turns it on its head with outrageous characters, cheeky humour, audience participation and a healthy dose of adult mischief. Written by acclaimed UK pantomime writer Tom Whalley, the production marks a new direction for Zealous Productions.
OUTinPerth co-editor Graeme Watson spoke to director Vincent Hooper about the upcoming show. Hooper has enjoyed an extensive stage career as both a solo cabaret performer and musical theatre artist, appearing in productions including The Rocky Horror Show, Xanadu, Legally Blonde and The Wizard of Oz. The pair last spoke for the August 2013 edition of OUTinPerth.
Pantomime isn’t something Australia has traditionally embraced. Is the art form becoming more popular here?
In Perth, the Christmas pantomimes that Zealous Productions have presented over the past five or six years have built a strong following. There are a lot of expats here, and Aussies are embracing it, making it a tradition and loving it.
The thing about it is that, with the Christmas productions, you can bring your kids and experience a show where they can stand up, sit down, jump around and laugh. They hear songs they know, it’s okay if they talk in the aisle, and they get to wave wands and join in.
We wanted to bring that experience to an adult audience as well, allowing people to leave the kids at home and enjoy more of a “he’s cumming behind you” experience.
What’s it like directing something that’s a little more raucous and a little looser? Do the performers get room to play with the material, or is it a locked script?
I’m telling the performers to treat it like Shakespeare. Any “fucketh offeth” is really in their vocabulary, and they should play it seriously. When you watch things like Monty Python, they’re completely committed to it and deliver everything that way.
We’ve been working through the script. You want it to be fun, dirty and cheeky, but you also don’t want to cross the line.
When you’re doing comedy, it’s sometimes hard to judge what is going to land with an audience.
You get a sense of what’s funny, but it’s always surprising where the laughs come. You find yourself thinking, “I did not know that was going to go there,” or “That laugh was going to happen there.”
When you’re on stage, it’s like riding a wave. You fall into a flow state and start bouncing back and forth with the audience. Comedy is so much fun because you’re experiencing it together in real time.
We’re seeing some large-scale musicals struggle in Australia at the moment. It’s refreshing to see different kinds of productions finding audiences.
It’s a scary time in the industry, but also potentially a time when we can rebuild and change, and do the shows that audiences actually want to see.
A lot of systems around the world, including in Australia, are going through a period of upheaval. The challenge is figuring out how we rebuild them.
Zealous Productions have really strong ethics around paying the actors properly and keeping ticket prices affordable.
The production of Throbbin’ Wood marks a new chapter for Zealous Productions, which has built a loyal following through its large-scale family musicals while now expanding into more adult-focused theatre.nd pantomimes at the Regal Theatre. Tickets to the production are on sale now.
