Earlier in the year Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe gave us a cinematic new take on the old Robin Hood tale. Now writer, Matthew Whittet and Windmill Theatre have given us another take. The difference is Fugitive is much better.

Here, Robin (Eamon Farren) returns from an unexplained two year absence, hooks up again with Marion (Louisa Mignone) and along with Wil (Whittet) and bovver boy, Little John (Patrick Graham) take on the forces of evil in the district led by Marty (Carmel Johnson.) Along the way they battle knights, some bad, some incompetent, others invisible and also themselves, often at a frenetic pace.

The interweaving of this traditional Robin Hood story with almost everything else being modern, along with a tale about young people desperately trying to come to terms with their place in the world, is expertly done. The humour builds from Little John’s flatulence problem early on to Geoff Revell’s show stealing roles, first on a horse as a sage, then as the treacherous Guy. It is a great romps.

The impact of the whole off stage crew on all aspects of the production is significant. Richard Vabre’s lighting and Luke Smiles’ sound design keep giving the production vibrant and eccentric edges, always making contemporary what is after all a 1000 year old tale – the scene changes are an excellent example of the team work delivering clever outcomes.

Farren is an impressive stage figure and Mignone handles superbly the various challenges of Marion in a costume that was not exactly flattering.

The Windmill people are calling for young men to flood to see this. They cast their net not nearly wide enough. This is great entertainment for everyone.

Kryztoff Rating   4K