Why Robin Hood: The Legend of the Black Knight?

I’m originally from Nottingham, so I grew up surrounded by the legendary tales of Robin Hood and his merry men—stories filled with bravery, rebellion, and mischief. Add to that the brilliantly funny Maid Marian TV series with Tony Robinson, which kept me glued to the TV throughout my childhood, and you can imagine how deeply rooted all the versions of the Robin Hood stories are for me.

So, when Chelsey (Torch Theatre’s Artistic Director) and I were exploring titles for our young people, this one immediately stood out. It has everything you could want for a great night at the theatre: high‑stakes drama, lively comedy, a touch of romance, and a hint of mystery. I couldn’t wait to delve into the material and begin shaping Torch Youth Theatre’s own version of this iconic legend.

What can this production offer the young people who are taking part?

There is honestly so much the young people will get from taking part in this production. We have over 50 young people on stage, and we have created a production which we know will give them all a meaningful moment ‘in the spotlight’. With large ensemble action-filled moments, to quieter character-driven scenes there’s space to suit everyone’s skills. Torch Youth Theatre aims not just to develop the young people’s acting skills, but also their confidence, teamwork, as well as their imagination, and large-scale productions like this are the perfect opportunity to do just that!

Do you think the story will be popular with the actors and audiences?

Everyone thinks they know the legend of Robin Hood, but each generation has their own version, be it those ‘Men In Tights’ or Alan Rickman’s scenery chewing turn in ‘Prince of Thieves’, and we hope that The Legend of the Black Knight will be the one our young people and audiences remember. It’s fast, funny, and full of heart, so the performers can really throw themselves into it, and audiences will see the familiar story with some unexpected twists.

How similar is the story to the original Robin Hood that we are all familiar with?

The story of Robin Hood has been told, re-told and reinvented since the 1300s, so we’ve had lots of different elements to play with. Rest assured there’s plenty of elements that have the ring of familiarity to them – green clad heroes, robbing of the rich and giving to the poor, rescuing a damsel in distress and a power mad monarch – but our version moves things around a bit. You’ll find that Prince John has been replaced by his mother, the ruthless Queen Eleanor, and there’s a mysterious Black Knight who keeps popping up. So it’s the classic legend… sort of!

Describe Robin Hood: The Legend of the Black Knight in three words.

Adventurous. Hilarious. Heartfelt.

What can audiences expect?

First and foremost, you’ll have a brilliant night out – filled with high drama, action and just a few laughs. But you’ll also get to see how these young actors handle some of the more emotional moments of the story. We also know you’ll enjoy seeing our stage filled with young people who will not only be the actors of the future but will also be running the world! So come along and say you saw them here first!

How many young people will appear on stage and what are the challenges that they’ll face?

We’ve got over 50 young people involved, which is every single member of our youth theatre – no one is left out! It’s brilliant to give all our participants this opportunity but it’s also a challenge for us. One of the hardest parts of the process is that the cast all rehearse on different nights but they are all telling one cohesive story and are often in scenes with people who are not in their group… so they must imagine where the other performers are. Then they only come together as a whole company twice before opening night. It’s a real challenge for everyone but especially for the young performers. But it’s a challenge they always rise to. And it’s incredibly rewarding when everything clicks together, and the curtain rises for the first performance.

Will there be singing and dancing where audience members can join in?

No—this one’s not a sing‑along or dance‑along. But there will absolutely be moments that will make the audience gasp or laugh out loud. We won’t stop you doing that!

Without giving too much away, can you tell us a bit about the characters?

Well, all the familiar characters are in our story. There’s Robin – the reluctant hero, Little John – his best friend who’s a bit worried about Marian, Will Scarlett – who loves to dress up, Allan-a-Mor – the travelling musician, and of course the wise Friar Tuck. Marian is absolutely not a damsel in distress, no matter what the Sheriff and the tyrannical Queen Eleanor think. And we can’t forget the rest of the gang, some hapless guards, the citizens of Nottingham, Stephen the messenger and then there’s the Black Knight. The mysterious figure guiding Robin… but all is not as it seems.

Why should people come and see the production?

Robin Hood: The Legend of the Black Knight is not just going to be a great night out at the theatre, but also a huge celebration of the amazing young talent we have here in Pembrokeshire. The cast are just brilliant and I can’t wait for them to share their version of this classic legend with you. Come along and support these exceptionally brilliant young people.

Robin Hood: The Legend of the Back Knight can be seen on the Torch Theatre stage on Monday 20 July, Tuesday 21 July and Wednesday 22 July at 6.30pm. Price: £10 / £8 concessions. Book tickets via the website torchtheatre.co.uk / Box Office: 01646 695267.