Synopsis

The villagers are poor and need money, but the Sheriff and his stupid henchperson, Bullseye, arrive and announce more yet taxes to be paid. Afterwards, Robin arrives and tells the villagers not to worry, he’ll sort everything out using his ‘re-distribution of wealth’ arrangements. The Sheriff needs to get rid of Robin so that he can hold on to his money and also so he can try his luck with Maid Marian.

Marian’s nurse, (Nora, the dame) knows that the only person for Marian is Robin, and Sarah, Marian’s feisty friend, confides that Will, one of the Merry Men is her heart-throb. Morgana, the local old crone, fancies the Sheriff, and when the large and gastronomic Friar Tuck finds out that Nora is a good cook, he decides to amorously pursue her.

Robin Hood and his men welcome two new members to the band of Merry Men: Alan a Dale, a minstrel who can’t sing, and Bill(inda) the butcher (a woman posing as a man) who falls in love with Little John. The Sheriff hatches a plot with his soothsayer, Morgana, to trap Robin, involving an archery contest. Robin and his men hear of the contest, they tell him not to go but he insists that the money they’ll win is reason enough, and he’ll go in disguise. The contest is held, Robin wins by splitting the arrow, the trap is sprung, he is captured and the Sheriff makes a proposition to Marian.

The Merry Men try to work out how to save Robin, so they send Bill(inda) off to find King Richard. Marian goes to see Robin in the dungeons and tells him that if she agrees to marry the Sheriff then he (Robin) will be released. Robin says that he’d rather die than see that happen. They sing a romantic song, and she exits in tears. The wedding is however announced and Bullseye and Nurse Nora undertake a bit of kitchen slapstick making a wedding cake before Nora goes to the Merry Men to ask them for help. The Men come up with a secret plan and head off to start working on it, leaving Nora, Friar Tuck and Little John to do the ghost gag. Bill(inda) arrives with King Richard, to find that everyone has left the forest.

On the wedding day, the Sheriff marries a veiled Maid Marian… but, through feminine wiles, a switch is made and he actually marries Sarah! Bill(inda) arrives with King Richard who puts everything to rights: he annuls Sarah’s marriage and forces the Sheriff to marry Morgana, or it’s prison. Robin proposes to Marian, Billinda reveals she’s a woman and Little John proposes, Will proposes to Sarah and Friar Tuck ‘accidentally’ proposes to Nora. Five weddings and a big song to celebrate.

Characters