Amy White Theatre offered traditional panto fodder at its finest over the weekend, delighting audiences of adults and children alike with a fast-paced and fun-packed afternoon at East Cowes Town Hall as they told the well-known tale of Robin Hood.

The set and lighting were creative and vibrant, and there was a great mix of songs throughout: the duet between Robin and Marian – a beautifully harmonised version of ‘Everything I Do, I Do It For You’ with a few comic touches – was a highlight, as was the full company rendition of ‘500 Miles’, and the junior ensemble deserve a huge shout-out for their performance of ‘Revolting Children’ – their energy was off the charts!

Speaking of energy, Callum as Silly Willy was bubbling over with energy and charisma as the traditional pantomime ‘fall guy’, with impeccable comic timing and oodles of silliness. The Apple watch sequence in Act 2 was hilarious, with Callum never missing a beat with his lip-synching.

Robin Hood himself was played by Bet Hartley, who made a perfect principal boy, opposite Tammy’s exuberant Maid Marian; it’s deceptively tricky to make principal boys and girls memorable when they’re surrounded by so many larger-than-life characters, but both Bet and Tammy delivered more than enough heart and humour to more than hold their own.

But what is Robin without his Merry Men? Robin Hood is always one of the more ensemble-based pantomimes, as it features a host of ‘sidekicks’, in particular Robin’s infamous band of outlaws. Played here by Vicky (Alana-A-Dale), Bee (Little John), Belle (‘Dave’ the Learner) and Chris (Friar Tuck), it would be unfair to single out any one performer as together they made an engaging team, just as they should, and each character was distinct from the others.

Every pantomime needs a good villain, and Si was exactly that as the Sheriff of Nottingham. Hamming up the nastiness at every opportunity, Si had children on their feet in their eagerness to boo! The Sheriff’s number was yet another musical highlight, with excellent vocals from Si and impressive aerial acrobatics from senior dancer India.

Great performances also came from Abbie as the Forest Sprite, in particular with her lovely rendition of ‘How Far I’ll Go’, and from Emily and Mel as Sniff and Snott, the Sheriff’s hopeless henchmen, whose mishaps with a maypole were very entertaining.

Last, but certainly not least, is the dame: a pantomime staple, and Ian brought warmth, hilarity and sass in equal measure to the stage as Dolly, along with plenty of groan-worthy jokes that proved, time and again, that as long as they’re well-delivered the classics never die!

A good pantomime should make a stage look like it’s bursting with joy, and Amy White Theatre’s production certainly felt that way: from youngest to oldest, every performer clearly loved being on stage, and it showed.