Robin Hood with Jason Manford: Review

Whoever said you can get too much of a good thing never saw Jason Manford in pantomime.

The Salford-born comedian takes the lead at Manchester Opera House for the fourth consecutive Christmas alongside his popular panto sidekick and Britain’s Got Talent finalist, Ben Nickless.

Both comics get time on stage to showcase their individual talents – Manford his warm, hilarious stand-up and strong musical theatre vocals; and Nickless his dynamic physical comedy and quick-fire impressions, bringing in a whole host of famous faces from Michael McIntyre to Donald Trump.

But it is when they are working together as a double act that the sparks really fly. After four years of pantomime together, Manford and Nickless make a comfortable double act whose joint focus is on making sure the audience, and especially the kids, have a fantastic time. The roving kiss-cam encouraging the young ones in the crowd to pull funny faces is a particular highlight.

This year the action moves to Sherwood Forest as the pair take on the roles of Robin Hood and Little Willie (cue lots of silly innuendo that has the youngsters rolling about). People who haven’t seen Manford recently might be surprised to see his new trim self. The 44-year-old has been chronicling his weight loss on social media. But as he says in the show, “there’s nothing like finding out you’re doing Robin Hood men in tights, to get you into shape.”

The pair are joined by an energetic cast. Landi Oshinowo adds sass to her sparkle as Spirit of Sherwood, her fun-side given free reign as the wig comes off in the fast-paced 12 Days of Christmas routine. Sarah Vaughan brings Maid Marion to the fore of the action with strong vocals and impressive swashbuckling. While the villain of the piece, Adam Strong wins cheers for his solo singing as Sheriff of Nottingham, his strong voice making the audience forget for a moment he is the one there for the boos and hisses.

As always with the Opera House pantomime the staging is spectacular. I don’t want to spoil the surprises, but you might want to take a raincoat if you’re sitting in the first few rows. The only downside is the lighting surrounding the stage – huge LED circles facing the audience. For some scenes I can see it can add atmosphere but for others it is genuinely distracting and feels like a juggernaut on full beam coming towards you. If you are light sensitive, it is something to consider.

That aside, this is a fantastic family show that is sure to delight children and adults alike.

Robin Hood is at the Opera House, Manchester from 6 December 2025 to 4 January 2026.