The Sheriff of Nottingham comes to York Theatre Royal

Robin Hood’s nemesis is thought to be based on a abbot from St Mary’s.

Actor John Elkington takes a taxing role in York Theatre Royal’s fun family show Robin Hood: The Arrow of Destiny. He plays the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham, a character famous for collecting tax from the poor and lining his own coffers.

Ahead of rehearsals John visited York and demonstrated the Sheriff’s money-grabbing ways in Museum Gardens by the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey – which plays a central role in an early ballad about the famous archer. Robin Hood’s nemesis is thought to be based on a abbot from St Mary’s.The Abbot’s House, built in 1483, survives as the King’s Manor, now the city centre premises of the University of York.

Robin Hood: The Arrow of Destiny, this summer’s family fun show at York Theatre Royal, is a hilarious re-working of the classic story, with a few unusual twists and turns.

Hapless Hood is full of good intentions, but has no sense of direction and finds himself lost in Sherwood Forest. It’s left to Marian to save the day and show there’s more to being a hero than looking good in green tights. Sometimes it takes a woman to make a legend.

Suzann McLean and Damian Cruden direct a show featuring music, song, slapstick humour, romance, masks and puppets.

Robin Hood: The Arrow of Destiny follows in the tradition of family summer shows at the Theatre Royal. Past productions have included The Legend of King Arthur; The Wind in the Willows; The Railway Children; Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes.

Neil Reynolds, from award-winning CBBC series The Secret Life of Boys, plays Robin Hood and Siobhan Athwal, who appeared in the Spice Girls musical Viva Forever in the West End, join John Elkington’s Sheriff in a cast. It also includes three teams of ten young people from the York area, who join the company to play villagers and merry people.

Robin Hood: The Arrow of Destiny is at York Theatre from 4 August to 2 September. Press night August 8, 7pm