The young actors sharing the same roles in Robin Hood and The Babes in the Wood. The young actors sharing the same roles in Robin Hood and The Babes in the Wood.
Four adorable young Durban actors are the “babes” in KickstArt’s Christmas family panto, Robin Hood and The Babes in the Wood, which is proving a big hit at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, where it runs until January 9.
Two rounds of exhaustive auditions were held to find two pairs of “babes”, aged nine to 12, to play the children in the show.
Of those children chosen, two did extremely well in the Gateway Road to Fame singing competition at Umhlanga’s Barnyard Theatre, while the other two have appeared for KickstArt in shows such as Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh.
There are two pairs of “babes” in the show – Lindsey Morris, 11, from Westville and Joshua Arnold, 12, from Umbilo, who alternate with Kiara Teunissen, 9, from Westbrook and Andrew Sutton, 10, from Mount Edgecombe.
The children are integral to the panto – the plot combines elements of the babes-lost-in-the-forest story based on an old English ballad of 1595 (the original manuscript is preserved in the British Museum), which tells the story of two orphaned children, abandoned deep in the forest upon the orders of their wicked uncle.
This tale is combined with the Robin Hood legend and a huge dollop of comedy in the form of Robin Hood’s motley crew of merry men in tights, a really villainous sheriff (Iain “Ewok” Robinson) and an unforgettable dame, Nurse Nicely (Darren King).
Exactly how Robin Hood came to be connected to the story of “the babes” remains uncertain, but it makes for a great yarn full of fun and frolic.
The fairytale magic essential for a pantomime comes from two figures from Arthurian legend, in the fabulous personas of Merlin the magician (Farai Gwaze) and the evil enchantress, Morgan Le Fey (Liesl Coppin).
“The babes are a critical component of the story – there would not be a plot without them as they provide the focus for the narrative,” explains panto director Steven Stead.
“It is important to have children playing the babes, rather than adults. It has to feel authentic and we need to empathise and identify with the characters. Having actors play children would feel too cartoonish.”
Stead was concerned about the lack of theatrical understanding evident in the children who auditioned.
“It worries me that not more children are exposed to theatre. They have a limited frame of reference, and many don’t know what a panto or a musical is. Their reference is Justin Bieber and Hannah Montana – not traditional theatre with developed characters.
“Having said that, the four babes we have in our cast are terrific. They are focused and professional, and they have integrated well into the cast without being precocious.
“In Peter Pan last year we had nine boys running amok backstage. It is far calmer with boys and girls this year – I think the girls keep the boys in check!”
The children are having a great time.
“I’m loving every minute of it. The cast members have been loving and kind,” says Andrew.
Kiara is also enjoying the experience: “In the beginning, I was worried about missing out on doing things with my friends in the holidays, but now I think I am having the best holiday by far.
“All in the cast are so friendly, and we have lots of fun together.”
The young cast members found the rehearsal process challenging and tiring.
“We worked hard during the rehearsals, but it was good fun! It has been an incredible experience performing with such talented actors and actresses,” says Lindsey.
“The rehearsals were quite tiring, but lots of fun. The members of the cast were very funny to work with. I also learnt a lot from the other cast members and from Steven Stead as they are very experienced. I’ve met new people and made new friends,” chimes in Andrew.
The children all have their favourite moments in the production.
Kiara’s favourite scene is in the forest, because she gets to sing solo, performing the ballad Somewhere Out There. And she gets to ride on an enormous dragon.
“The scenery is so beautiful that you really feel like you are in a forest, especially with all the little creatures that come to look after us.”
Andrew’s favourite scene is also that in the forest, when the dragon appears, while Joshua likes the moment in the show when villains Cecil and Claude (played by Bryan Hiles and Peter Court) and Nurse Nicely bake a cake.
As for Lindsey, she rates the standout moments in the show as the nursery scene – and all the dance numbers.
Joshua, who was seen in Peter Pan and The Guitar that Rocked the World, has clearly been bitten by the theatre bug.
“I just can’t wait to get on the stage. I just want to show everyone that I can sing, dance and act,” he says.
All the “babes” are keen to encourage others to experience the joy of panto.
“I tell them it is one of the funniest and best shows ever. The props are amazing and the script is very funny!” says Kiara. “It is unbelievably awesome!” concurs Andrew.
“And without people watching theatre, there will be no theatre,” concludes Joshua.
Robin Hood and The Babes in the Wood is to be seen at 2.30pm Tuesday to Sundays, and at 7pm on Fridays and Saturdays, until January 9.
Tickets cost R130 (R100 for senior citizens and under-12s).
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