Spiteful Puppet’s fresh and novel take of the legend of Robin Hood has been a breath of fresh air with their nuanced and well thought-out take on the Robin Hood myth. Nottingham’s most famous rogue has always leant itself to darker reinterpretations; after all, this pseudo historical hero is a sort of medieval terrorist.
In Hood, there is no true ‘Robin Hood’ character. What we have is a collection of outlaws, scheming nobles and a Sherriff who isn’t exactly a hero but tends to have the interests of the people in mind. This simple consideration for those that he is meant to serve, protect and shepherd marks him out head and shoulders above the rest of the characters in Sherwood. Spiteful Puppet have used this series to establish the backstories of each of the principle characters so far. We know why the Sherriff is kind but not wise, why the Lady Marion is as duplicitous and vicious as she is, and why Robert De Loxley, aka Hood, is such an arrogant ass. This recent instalment, Warriors’ Harvest, doesn’t feature Will Scarlett and Little John quite as much as previous episodes, but that’s understandable. Warriors’ Harvest is primarily the story of the Sherriff, Phillip De Nicholay.
The story opens with things approaching stability for the people of Nottingham. Loxley is still an outlaw but the people seem sort of happy and the land is stable. Unfortunately, mismanagement of the food supply means that De Nicholay is going to have to negotiate with Hood. Even worse, the maundering Celts from previous episodes are still on the rampage and have set their eyes on the legendary Hood, believing that he has powers they can steal.
Lee Ingleby puts in a fine performance as the much-beleaguered hero, and Sarah McKendrick supplies her outrageous French accent yet again for the role of Lady Marion. Actor Billy Miller steals the show as the outrageously louche and malevolent William De Warrene, friend of the King. Overall, this is a great episode in a series that is quickly becoming unmissable.
HOOD: WARRIORS’ HARVEST / AUTHOR: IAIN MEADOWS / STARRING: LEE INGLEBY, SARAH MCKENDRICK, BILLY MILLER, IAN BROOKER, DAMIAN COOPER , SEAN CONNOLLY / PUBLISHER: SPITEFUL PUPPET / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
