Full Cast Announced For Bristol Old Vic's New Christmas Show ROBIN HOOD: THE LEGEND OF THE FORGOTTEN FOREST

Cast announced for Bristol Old Vic's new Christmas show with The Wardrobe Ensemble Bristol Old Vic today announced the cast for its brand-new Christmas production, teaming up with one of the city's most celebrated companies; multi-award-winning The Wardrobe Ensemble. Robin Hood: The Legend of the Forgotten Forest is a fresh spin on the legendary Christmas favourite and will be the next chapter in Bristol Old Vic's long-running and hugely popular series of blockbuster Christmas family shows.

The cast includes Wardrobe Ensemble founders Kerry Lovell (Robin Hood), Tom England (Will Scarlet), James Newton (Sheriff of Nottingham), and Jesse Meadows (Friar Tuck). They are joined by Dorian Simpson in the role of JJ and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School graduate (and Peter O'Toole Prizewinner) Katja Quist as Marian. Music is composed and performed live by Tom Crosley-Thorne.

When a 21st century kid slips through a crack in the time-space continuum, they crash into the middle of an epic fight between good and evil. It's Sherwood Forest. The 12th century. An uneasy time of cunning thieves, dastardly villains and karaoke-singing monks. When the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham sets in motion his vicious plan for ultimate power, it's up to Robin Hood and the Merry Crew to pull off their toughest mission yet. Can they defeat the Sheriff before it's too late and the forest is lost forever?

Robin Hood.. joins the long tradition at Bristol Old Vic of creating theatrical magic at Christmas - working with the most exciting talent in Bristol. It's a recipe that has paid off; with West End transfers such as Tom Morris' Swallows and Amazons and Sally Cookson's Peter Pan, to box office record-breakers like Lee Lyford's A Christmas Carol, Bristol Old Vic family shows have always been the theatre's opportunity to showcase the brilliance of local talent and share it with the wider world too.

The Wardrobe Ensemble met in September 2010 while training together on Bristol Old Vic's Made in Bristol project. They have been touring nationally and internationally, making work together ever since, including RIOT, 33 and their co-production with Complicité, The Last of The Pelican Daughters. Recent West End success with Education, Education, Education (Stage Award for Best Ensemble and a Fringe First) brought them national attention while their work for young families such as Eloise and the Curse of the Golden Whisk (The Bike Shed), Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain (Bristol Old Vic), and The Star Seekers (National Theatre), showed their instinctive knack for finding the joy and anarchy in theatre for children of all ages.

This summer they created a new pop-up theatre venue in Bristol - The Theatre on The Downs which garnered huge acclaim and brought together some of the region's top theatre talent for two months of celebration. The Wardrobe Ensemble premiered a new show, WINNERS, as well as hosting live performance from FullRogue, Living Spit, Action Hero and Ad Infinitum. The venue welcomed 6550 audience members and hosted 34 companies over Aug and Sep, and The Wardrobe Ensemble also awarded a £10,000 commission to Frome-based artist Hannah Kumari, and a £3,000 commission to theatre-maker Brook Tate.

Bristol Old Vic Artistic Director, and Christmas super-fan, Tom Morris said:
"We love Christmas at Bristol Old Vic. Since the golden age of King Street Pantos in the 1870s, people of every age and from every part of Bristol have come to the theatre together, often with three or four generations in a single booking. This creates the most wonderful atmosphere throughout the building, and it's inspiring for artists too, who create some of their most magical work. Two years ago, Lee Lyford and Gwyneth Herbert created our wonderful Christmas Carol. A few years before, Sally Cookson stole all our hearts with her magical Peter Pan. And this year we are delighted to be working with the dazzling Wardrobe Ensemble to bring you a perfect family Christmas retelling of Robin Hood. Prepare for a night out so overflowing with joy you'll still be chucking about it in June!"

Hannah Smith, Producer for The Wardrobe Ensemble said: "Christmas shows at Bristol Old Vic are some of our first memories of theatre, so being given the chance to create a new one is an absolute dream come true. We are so excited to get into the rehearsal room and get started. We've got an amazing team of old and new collaborators all working their socks off to make Robin Hood.. a Christmas show for the ages."

And to make sure we cater for everyone this Christmas, this production will include two guaranteed socially-distanced performances each week for those who need them.

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