Panto star Christopher Biggins hosts celebration of 150 years of the Theatre Royal

It seems fitting that the county's most famous folklore hero is being used to celebrate the 150 year history of one of Nottingham's most iconic venues, the Theatre Royal.

Seven of the East Midlands' best playwrights have been commissioned to write six new stories for Robin Hood - intended to take the icon out of his signature green tights and on to a journey through a century and a half of Nottingham's vibrant history.

The ambitious project, "knitted together" by New Perspectives' artistic director Jack McNamara was unveiled as part of the theatre's 150th anniversary plans at a launch party today.

Hosted by pantomime veteran Christopher Biggins - ahead of his star turn in this year's panto Aladdin - 100 guests from the city's creative community were invited to toast the theatre's stone-breaking anniversary - just six months before its official 'birthday' on September 25..

McNamara told the Post it was a huge honour to be involved in the landmark celebration.

He said: "I was determined that the theatre's 150th anniversary should be marked by something tangible, something creative and lasting.

"We were tasked to look at the Robin Hood myth again but to use seven writers.

"So the challenge to me was how do I make it so that seven different writers have six different worlds in this story.

"So what we did was to give each of them a rough period and they responded to that in their own way.

"I've had to knit them together, coming in and out of different centuries, its not really a time travelling piece but in a way the audience are time travelling

"We are looking at how would the robin hood legend change through the period of the Theatre Royal.

"Anyone who thinks Robin Hood is all about archery and green tights will be in for a big surprise."

HOOD - The Legend Continues will run from Thursday September 17 to 26 and tickets went on sale yesterday.

The anniversary celebrations will also include a surprise golden ticket giveway, where 150 prizes worth £3,000 will be hidden in programmes, underseats and in audience members' popcorn, maybe not, as well as a very special theatrical return - Sheridan's comedy The School for Scandal, which was the first play ever to have the curtain rise at the Theatre Royal.

The satire on London society has a cast of 21 community actors ranging in age from 19 to a "very young" 75.

Students from Nottingham Trent University are making the costumes for the production which will utilise the whole theatre to an audience of 75 people at a time.

Biggins, who was in the city fresh from an evening at London's Claridges celebrating Joan Collins Damehood, said the script made for a "great play" which was "very today" and almost "Twitter-ish

Speaking about "one of the greatest theatre's in the country" Biggins said: "Oh, it's wonderful. It's spectacular that we still have this magnificent Matcham theatre. I think what they did when they redeveloped it all was wonderful. They put the heart of the theatre into this modern complex and it has worked so successfully.

"There's 1,100 seats in this theatre and everyone you feel you can touch. It has an amazing intimacy, you know it doesn't feel like a huge theatre when you are standing on that stage. It's wonderful, simply wonderful."

Robert Sanderson, Managing director of the Theatre Royal, said "We have chosen this particular day to launch our anniversary plans as it is 150 years exactly since building work started on the Theatre Royal in 1865. It is a very great privilege to be part of such a special occasion as a 150th anniversary. My team and I want to do everything we can to involve as many people as possible with these celebrations. This wonderful theatre, our Theatre Royal, is one of the most beautiful and well-regarded theatres in the country. The 150th anniversary in September will give us all a unique chance to show just how special she is to us."