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John Barrowman is Robin Hood - Oh Yes He Is! By Radio Warneford's Judith Ratcliffe In December 2008, a brand new pantomime will grace the stage of the Birmingham Hippodrome. I went to a press conference on Tuesday, 3rd June, to find out more and to speak to the star of the show, John Barrowman, who is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Captain Jack Harkness in the cult television series Doctor Who and Torchwood. Appearing in the pantomime alongside John Barrowman's Robin Hood, are Don Maclean (Friar Tuck) and Paul Zerdin (Will Scarlet). Making a special guest appearance is Titan, a massive 8 foot tempered steel giant robot that is conjured back from the future to aide the Sheriff of Nottingham's quest to defeat Robin Hood. John, or, Robin, as I shall now call him, was on fine form, joking and dancing in front of the cameras with Titan in the Hippodrome foyer, before re-materialising, moments later, outside, on a horse led by Maid Marian.
A quiver, not of arrows, but of microphones, was laid in front of our hero on the press conference table. After an introduction from Paul Elliott, who directs the pantomime this year, John Barrowman responded to our questions with a merry twinkle in his eye and sent a special message to patients of Warwick Hospital... "Get Well Soon! For everybody who is in the hospital, I wish you well. Get better, and if it's something that you know is not going to get better, keep fighting strong and just keep a positive attitude and a positive outlook on life." During the Press Conference, John Barrowman said he was glad to be coming back to Birmingham because he was 'welcomed with open arms' here, it's a 'great town', it has a 'great shopping district' and 'the people are friendly'. Apparently, last year the audience made Aladdin, in which he also starred in the title role, 'the most successful pantomime in theatre history'. Of this year's pantomime John Barrowman said "we're going to sparkle big this year" ... "we go on a ... fantastic ride through the forest - we go to Camelot and then, after Camelot, we find an ice-rink."
But what will he be getting up to between now and December? John Barrowman's next projects include working on a new music album and a Canadian version of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? as well as television programmes for the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, and, not forgetting the next series of Torchwood! The 'intermission' that John Barrowman speaks of, at the end of his autobiography, Anything Goes, appears to have ended - A brand new adventure begins. For further information about the Robin Hood- The Pantomime Adventure, the website of the Birmingham Hippodrome is www.birminghamhippodrome.com
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