Crawley's Robin Hood takes to the stage

Brighton-based actor Liam Murray Scott will be our Robin Hood when the epic tale takes to the stage at The Hawth Amphitheatre from Thursday, July 8-Sunday, July 11 (Thursday-Sunday, 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 2pm).
Liam Murray ScottLiam Murray Scott
Liam Murray Scott

The Hawth’s new in-house production will bring to life the tales of the outlaw of Sherwood Forest in the theatre’s very own woodland venue – and Liam, for one, can’t wait.

Liam was also taking part in June’s Brighton Fringe which made for a suddenly intense time.

“It is an odd mix of being so exhausted and so excited!”

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Liam says he survived the past year on a diet of Netflix and other subscriptions: “But it was very frustrating. Thankfully I had a pub job that I was due to quit before I went off to do a West End show, and obviously that fell through, but I managed to beg the pub to keep me on the books and thankfully I got them to furlough me so I was lucky that financially it wasn’t too bad.”

And now things are looking up considerably: “I got sent (details of Robin Hood) by about five different people. People were saying ‘Look! It is fighting and singing! That’s your thing!’”

And yes, indeed singing and fighting are precisely Liam’s thing – “just throw in a bit of acting as well!”

“I went in for Robin Hood but said if there was another part that suited me I would take it, and luckily they wanted me for Robin.”

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Robin Hood has spawned a huge range of versions over the years, from mega violent and gritty right the way through to cartoonish and for the kiddies.

“I think this version will have a happy medium. It is not a kids’ show but it is still a family-friendly show. We want it to be quite light-hearted, but it is also quite dark about Robin Hood’s past.

“He has had a horrific life, losing his whole estate and losing his father.

“When the Sheriff of Nottingham took over, Robin’s father was considered a traitor.”

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As for inspiration, Liam is thinking very much Captain America when he thinks Robin Hood.

“He is someone who is very devoted to the cause and won’t back down. He will always get up and fight. He is very clear in his morals and his principals. He is virtuous and righteous, but he is also fun-loving.

“He has got his group of men and boys and probably women as well, his merry people.

“They are his band of brothers and they are the only family he has got left. He is so incredibly loyal to them.

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“And he is just very clear in his morals: it is OK to steal from you because you have got enough and these other people have got nothing. But I think he has become a bit cocky, probably to protect his own vulnerability. He is masking the softer side of himself with his bravado. He has become this larger-than-life character, this hero of the people, and he is playing a role.”

Liam is hugely looking forward to it: “It is going to be glorious.

“Currently it is just those dates in Crawley, but if it goes well, then who knows? I really do hope that it will have a life outside.

“That can be the sad thing with small-scale shows like this. You put in so much work and then it is just a short run, just six shows or whatever. But I would love to think that this might go on to other things.”

Tickets on www.hawth.co.uk.