Zealous Productions brings a hilarious twist to Robin Hood with Throbbin’ Wood

Zealous Productions is set to unleash its first-ever adult pantomime with Throbbin’ Wood, a filthy, fast-paced and laugh-out-loud reimagining of the classic Robin Hood legend. The new pantomime show is set to kick off at The Regal Theatre from Friday, July 24, to Saturday, August 1, with tickets on sale now. NATASHA PAUL sat down with Throbbin’ Wood‘s creative director, Dixie Farinosi, to find out more about the show’s hilarious twist on the original Robin Hood tale, favourite new (and naughty) characters and producing their first-ever adult pantomime. 

Congratulations on bringing your new pantomime show, Throbbin’ Wood, to The Regal Theatre! How are you feeling about bringing the show to Perth audiences for the first time?

We’re incredibly excited. Zealous Productions has been producing pantomimes at the Regal Theatre for many years, so it feels very much like our home. What makes Throbbin’ Wood different is that it’s our first adults-only pantomime.

Our audiences know us for family-friendly productions, so it’s been a lot of fun taking everything we love about pantomime, the audience interaction, larger-than-life characters, music and comedy and creating something specifically for grown-ups. It’s a little risky, completely ridiculous and unlike anything we’ve produced before; we’re having a lot of laughs!

Throbbin’ Wood’ is described as a filthy, funny twist on the classic tale of Robin Hood. Tell us more about this twist on the original story!

We’ve taken everything people know and love about Robin Hood and turned the dial up considerably. The familiar characters are all there, but they’ve been reimagined through the lens of an adults-only comedy.

Expect outrageous innuendo, larger-than-life characters, pop music, audience interaction and plenty of moments that would make the original Robin Hood blush. At its heart, though, it’s still a story about friendship, love and standing up to authority, just with significantly more double entendres.

Throbbin’ Wood marks Zealous Productions’ first-ever adult pantomime. What made Robin Hood the perfect story to mark this milestone?

Honestly, the title got me. Throbbin’ Wood is funny before you’ve even opened the script. Audiences instantly know they’re in for something cheeky and a little bit ridiculous.

Robin Hood is such a familiar story, and the writer Tom Whalley, from Pantomimes UK, has turned it into something completely outrageous. Audiences get the joke before they’ve even bought a ticket, which is half the fun.

The show is set to feature characters from the original Robin Hood folklore but with hilarious (and naughty) names. Can you tell us more about these characters, and do you have a favourite?

The cast is packed with crazy colourful characters. Throbbin Wood, Maid Marian, Fairy Glitterous, Nanny Fanny, Triar F#$%, Anal-A-Dale, Silly Willy, Little Jonnie and the Sheriff of Frottingham.

Everyone seems to have a different favourite, but my fave is definitely Fairy Glitterous. She’s completely unapologetic, has absolutely no filter and somehow manages to create chaos everywhere she goes.

Adult pantomime differs from regular pantomime. What were the most challenging aspects of adapting Robin Hood into an adult pantomime show?

The biggest challenge was finding the right balance. We wanted the show to be cheeky and outrageous, but we also didn’t want it to go too far! Creating something that’s naughty without relying solely on shock value was a really important part of the process.

What can someone who has never seen a pantomime show before expect from Throbbin’ Wood? Is there anything they should brace for?

Expect a night where absolutely anything can happen.

There’ll be live music, audience participation, pop songs, outrageous costumes, terrible jokes, brilliant jokes, characters talking directly to the audience and a lot of laughter. Pantomime is one of the most interactive forms of theatre, and the audience becomes part of the fun.

As for what to brace for? This is very much an adults-only event. Leave the kids at home and prepare to have your childhood memories thoroughly corrupted.

Do you have plans for any future adult pantomime shows, with twists on any other familiar folklore or fairytale stories?

We’ve certainly got a few ideas already.

Throbbin’ Wood is written by Tom Whalley from Pantomimes UK, and we’ve been performing Tom’s family pantomimes since Zealous Productions first began putting on pantos. When I discovered he had also written adult pantomimes, it grabbed my attention immediately.

Tom has written several other adult pantomimes, and if Perth audiences embrace Throbbin’ Wood the way I think they will, I’d absolutely love to produce more of them in the future.

Throbbin’ Wood hits The Regal Theatre from Friday, July 24, to Saturday, August 1, 2026. Tickets are on sale now from ticketek.com