Theater Review | ‘Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood’
Strong Staging and Humor Can’t Make Up for a Lackluster Script
Swords clash and arrows fly on the Garvin stage in the SBCC Theatre Group’s production of Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood. The usual suspects of the unofficial Theatre Group acting company bring (as always) a talented cast and great energy to the production, but in the case of this medieval adventure, they’re fighting an uphill battle — Robin Hood may be legendary, but Ludwig’s dramatic adaptation is not a masterwork. It’s still a story of standing up against corruption and exploitation of the poor, but one so bland and oversimplified that it seems either patronizing or eyebrow-raisingly out of touch.
The good news is that script flaws can be “hidden” with a strong, unified dramatic stage vision; the bad news is that SBCC’s Sherwood suffers from lack of identity, and the uneven concept steeps the show in a perplexing tonal miasma. The production isn’t committed to farcical clowning (though some moments and characters reach ambitiously), but it leans too campy to be a straight take with assorted comic relief (I mean … the cast yeets infant Robin like a hot potato and a man gets stabbed with a giant fork).
Nicholis Sheley and Sean O’Shea in The Theatre Group at SBCC’s production of KEN LUDWIG’S SHERWOOD: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. | Photo: Ben Crop 
Justin Davanzo, Nicholis Sheley and Rachel Jordan Brown in The Theatre Group at SBCC’s production of KEN LUDWIG’S SHERWOOD: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. | Photo: Ben Crop 
Rachel Jordan Brown and Nicholis Sheley in The Theatre Group at SBCC’s production of KEN LUDWIG’S SHERWOOD: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. | Photo: Ben Crop 
Nicholis Sheley and Rachel Jordan Brown in The Theatre Group at SBCC’s production of KEN LUDWIG’S SHERWOOD: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. | Photo: Ben Crop
Brian Harwell is funny as bratty, would-be poet Prince John, but the bit has huge growth potential. Same with Tyler Gilbert as the almost-draggy Sheriff of Nottingham. In terms of storytelling with purpose, a one-man, campfire performance of the show by Justin Davanzo as fat, Peaky Blinders Friar Tuck (I would watch that) has potential to be a more interesting choice, because that version has a distinct and engaging point of view.
That said, Sherwood is an impressively athletic production with creative fight choreography (by Sean O’Shea) that includes all manner of waltzing with weaponry. Alas, the show lacks personality. Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood runs through March 15 on the SBCC campus. Click here for details.
