Review: THROBBIN’ HOOD AND HIS LITTLE JOHN, Guildford Fringe - The Star Inn

Photo credit: Jorden McLaughlin

Guildford Fringe Theatre Company are becoming quite well known for their annual adult pantomime, and this year’s offering, Throbbin’ Hood and His Little John, is a fast paced, fantastically fun version of the tale of The Sheriff of Nottingham. Although he appears to be having a few issues with his...er… Little John.

Chloe Rice plays a charming Throbbin’ Hood, and is everything a Principal Boy should be - wide eyed, full of bravado and just saucy enough to raise a few eyebrows in pantomime tights! A generous amount of thigh slapping is woven into Rice’s character, and there are several comically delivered genitalia-related innuendos throughout the show. Throbbin’s ultimate goal is to win Maid Marion’s (Rosy Carr) love, but first he must overcome a fairly urgent andrological problem.

Luckily, a forest Sprite (Emily Cochrane ) is on hand to offer some magical assistance with this medical condition - circumcision is the only answer! However, The Sheriff (Alex Dowding) is holding Maid Marion hostage, so Throbbin’s genital concerns will have to wait until after he has saved his damsel in distress!

Fred Broom steals the show as Madam Suki, with some exceptionally extravagant dresses, including one patterned with the Grindr logo, one made out of PVC with conical boobs and a ballerina outfit which leaves nothing to the imagination! The musical number ‘Dildo Number Five’ (to the tune of ‘Mambo Number Five’, of course) is as hilarious as its title suggests, and Brooms’ cheeky flirtation with the hapless Dowding is a real highlight of the show.

The brilliantly blue script by James Chalmers is very well written, with plenty of filthy jokes, some very blatant innuendos and some gentler puns too. The musical numbers are all well thought out and very funny adaptations of well known songs, including versions of ‘One Night Only’, ‘It’s Raining Men’ and ‘I Know Him So Well’, all of which are given naughty lyrics!

The house song at the end of the show is a riotous rendition of ‘If I Were Not Upon The Stage’, which ends the performance on a real high, and sees an audience member join the five performers on the stage.

All in all, Throbbin’ Hood provides a delightfully daft evening out for everyone who loves panto, innuendo and a bit of good old fashioned thigh slapping!

*** Three stars

Reviewed by: Sarah Brown

Throbbin’ Hood & His Little John runs until 7 January 2023, with tickets available here.