Most likely, you know the story of the notorious Robin Hood; the outlaw and archer who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. But chances are, you’ve never heard the story quite like the one told by the students and staff at St. Timothy School.
Running May 7-9, the cast of characters from the school will be performing their version of the classic English tale. One that involves humour, parodies of classic rock tunes, choreographed dance sequences and a rapping narrative.
“It’s more of a production than a play at this point,” said Taylor Osiowy, who plays Much, one of Robin Hood’s merry men. “We’ve been working on it all year.
“It’s the classic tale, but completely original at the same time.”
Drawing inspiration from a variety of Robin Hood adaptations, including the BBC miniseries and the Mel Brooks directed Robin Hood: Men in Tights versions, the musical production promises a little something for everyone, said Grade 12 student Brett Lappin, who plays the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.
“The production is completely family friendly,” he said. “It’s just so funny. There are jokes that adults will get, and jokes that are more for the kids.”
This performance has been a long time coming, with the cast and crew first getting their hands on the play at the end of the 2012 school year. While the play was mostly written by Kevin McGregor, who runs the school’s extracurricular drama program, Osiowy said the students played a large part in the development of the script and the scenes.
“We’re not just actors in this play,” she said. “We’re set builders, costume designers, choreographers. I think being involved in this way has made for a better finished product.”
Cast members said one of the benefits of putting on a single production during the school year, as opposed to semiannual performances, is the amount of time that can be dedicated to both the production and schoolwork. Grade 12 student Calum Bowyer, who plays Robin, said the cast had their lines memorized by January.
Since then, Bowyer said the main focus has been perfecting choreography, singing and fight scenes, along with deepening the storyline.
And now, with only a matter of days before the first performance, the St. Tim’s crew is working extra hard to put the finishing touches on the production.
“The nerves have started to kick in,” said Bowyer. “We want audiences to see it now. Out of the last few years, this play has had the most work put into it.”
The May 7 opening is an adult evening, complete with wine and goodies, with tickets costing $20 a piece. The performance gets underway at 7 p.m.
The May 8 and 9 performances — also slated to start at 7 p.m. — are open to all ages. Tickets are $10.
To purchase tickets, contact St. Timothy School at 403-500-2106.
