TEHRAN – The musical play “Robin Hood”, directed by Mahan Heydari, premiered on November 10 at Vahdat Hall in Tehran.

Following his two previous highly attended productions, “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Prince,” Mahan Heydari completes his fantasy trilogy with “Robin Hood”, staged in a fantasy–realistic setting, Honaronline reported.

In this stage adaptation, while remaining faithful to the original “Robin Hood” story, the production seeks to present the tale in a contemporary direction, blending modern music, text, and themes while maintaining the essence of the classic legend.

The cast includes Nazanin Keyvani, Amir-Reza Tavanai, Setayesh Gharibi, Sina Rasouli, Mahshid Keshavarz Babainejad, Ali Ranjbar, Arshia Sheikh-Maleki, Mohammad Mehdi Hasannejad, Sadaf Sobhi, Parsa Haji Ramezani, Mobina Rashidi, Kiana Irani, Aseman Kasirian, and Hilda Kordbacheh, among others.

Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theater, and cinema. 

The origins of the legend as well as the historical context have been debated for centuries. There are numerous references to historical figures with similar names that have been proposed as possible evidence of his existence, some dating back to the late 13th century. At least eight plausible origins to the story have been mooted by historians and folklorists, including suggestions that Robin Hood was a stock alias used by or in reference to bandits.

According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depicted as being of noble birth, and in modern retellings, he is sometimes depicted as having fought in the Crusades before returning to England to find his lands taken by the Sheriff of Nottingham. 

In the oldest known versions, he is instead a member of the yeoman class. He is traditionally depicted dressed in Lincoln green. Today, he is most closely associated with his stance of “robbing the rich to give to the poor”. In popular culture, the term "Robin Hood" is often used to describe a heroic outlaw or rebel against tyranny.

Through retellings, additions, and variations, a body of familiar characters associated with Robin Hood has been created. These include his lover, Maid Marian; his band of outlaws, the Merry Men; and his chief opponent, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The Sheriff is often depicted as assisting Prince John in usurping the rightful but absent King Richard, to whom Robin Hood remains loyal. 

SS/SAB