Cheltenham - Everyman Panto Review

On Friday 5th December we were invited to the yearly pantomime that the Everyman in Cheltenham put on, this year it was Robin Hood, which is quite a modern pantomime to be doing, usually theatres do Cinderella or Aladdin (which was Cheltenhams choice last year). The pantomime is running until Sunday 11th January 2026 and is proving popular amongst audiences.

Impressive Stage Design

The stage design and the sets that they have used this year are very impressive, from stepping into the theatre, to the big special effects they use during the production is impressive and really helps tell the story of Robin Hood. 

Storyline?

So, whereas this is a pantomime for children, there is a loose storyline of Robin Hood that is played by Dan Wiltshire (a west end name), who is the greatest bow and arrow shooter in the land, and wants the reward of money, whilst falling in love with a princess played by Jewelle Hutchinson who is a rising name in the theatre world and one to watch,

Lizzy Bea & Tweedy 

Lizzie Bea is no stranger to the Everyman Cheltenham theatre stage, after being on tour in 2023 with Sister Act, she returns to play the dastardly Sheriff of Gloucestershire, and has some incredible musical numbers, from Lady Gaga to an impressive Adele number at the end of Act 1 accompanied by a great in house effect (which you need to buy tickets to see it). Lizzie who is no stranger to singing, has an incredible voice and steals the show with her vocal range, making what sometimes feels a bit disjointed with musical numbers somewhat better with her comedic timing and perfection to ensure she delivers a great moment that children will go "wow" too. 

Tweedy who is a regular to the pantomime at Cheltenham was brilliant. He is hilariously funny and has great comedic timing. He is renowned for his circus acts and comedic performances so it is always a delight to see him on stage. Tweedy does his best to try and follow the script, but even his comedic performance on stage catches some of them off guard which is so natural to see and it is nice that they are given this freedom to play about with the role, oh and Tweedy, where does the two famous ice skaters come from again?!? - Honestly, I think working with Tweedy, would be non-stop laughs! 

Jokes

Some of the jokes at the pantomime in the first act, of the show were very near the mark for even the adults, specially the Nurse character that was played by Kevin Brewis, but to some of us adults, found hilariously funny. However; a few things to note, and this could be an audience thing, but some of the jokes that said on stage fell flat with the audience members and weren't funny in the time or the moment. I think it was just down to poor scripting, when a joke seems funny on paper, it is hopeful that the audience will also find it funny... a lot of jokes about the government didn't seem to land very well or you were left thinking "awkward". 

Songs & Traditional Feel?

The songs, I felt were popped in there to make it a traditional pantomime; the song choices weren't as good as last years, however I completely understand that it can be quite frustrating to write a panto and have to sit and reword Adeles Skyfall; the songs, in my eyes could have been removed with some instrumental moments, this would have worked a lot better, it was very blocky when the songs finished and went into the next scenes. 

There was not any traditional feel moments in the pantomime, such as 12 days of Christmas, and the famous "We'll have to do it again then, Won't we". 

Overall?

A Great family fun pantomime, which has some good moments, but for me, I didn't think it was as good as last years show. I don't know if it could be to do with the choice of the pantomime, Robbin Hood. 

The pantomime was good, it had some funny moments, it was good for younger audiences who were joining in and laughing. Kept the Adults entertained. Run time of 2hrs which is great for those with young children who may be their first pantomime. Tickets are pricy, but you can get some good deals depending on where you sit, and also there are a range of performances that suite everyone. 

Next Years Pantomime is Cinderella, which we are looking forward to. 

Tickets via https://www.everymantheatre.org.uk/shows/robin-hood-and-his-merry-men/  & Photo credit Craig Fuller.

As always, a big thanks to Encore PR for inviting us, and Everyman for being so welcoming, we love supporting this theatre and its projects and shows that are being welcomed to the theatre in 2026! They have a wide range of shows on over 2026, so there should be something for everyone.