In this exclusive interview, actor and writer Adam Brown known to millions as Ori the dwarf in The Hobbit trilogy and for his swashbuckling turn in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales invites us into the wild, witty world of panto. As Robin Hood and Maid Marian prepares to take over the Corn Exchange from 28 November to 3 January, Brown reveals how he and the Plested Brown and Wilsher team have reimagined the legendary outlaw for Newburyshire.
From Python-esque quick changes to classic panto chaos, Adam shares the laughter, the craft, and the creative spark behind this year’s festive adventure.
Congratulations on Robin Hood and Maid Marian, running from 28 November to 3 January at the Corn Exchange. To start, what excited you most about bringing this story to the stage?
Robin Hood is a classic but not a popular panto. We were excited to give it that Newbury twist! Our Robin Hood is set not in Nottingham but Newburyshire! Led by the evil Sheriff of Newburyshire, of course!
The show is created by Plested Brown and Wilsher. What does your collaboration process look like when the three of you develop a show?
Knowing each other inside out helps! We have a shorthand from our years of experience together, so we can work around our strengths and weaknesses as writers. We also still find each other funny, so we laugh a lot and that is very inspiring creatively. Our golden rule is that if it makes us laugh, it goes in.
You all come from a strong background in physical and visual comedy. How early in the process do those physical or slapstick elements begin to take shape?
Honestly, it starts really early. It is the part we all get excited about. This year we are going a bit Python esque, because our ensemble has to switch at top speed from the Merry Gang to the Sheriffs Knights. That kind of quick-change chaos is perfect for comedy, from someone rushing on with the wrong prop to turning up in the completely wrong costume. It is all part of the clown.
When you are working as a trio, do you ever disagree creatively, and how do you keep those moments playful and productive?
Weirdly, not that much. The only real disagreements happen when we have divided up which scenes we are each going to write, and then one of us gets carried away and writes everyone else’s scenes too. I am definitely guilty of that, but honestly, who can blame me? Sitting in my garden in the summer, writing Christmas puns… it is hard to stop once you start!
Were there any classic panto traditions that you deliberately embraced, or any you decided to avoid for this production?
Avoid them? Never! Panto is such a wonderfully robust art form. You can throw absolutely anything at it. That is why it has lasted so long. It is always evolving, always finding new ways to surprise and entertain. Those classic traditions still catch us off guard in the best way, so we love looking at how we can keep them feeling fresh. This year we have the If I Was Not in the Merry Gang routine, which promises to be carnage!
You have performed on stage and in major film franchises. What originally sparked your passion for acting?
I guess I was definitely the class clown growing up, so performing was always bubbling away in me. I sort of stumbled into acting without any grand plan and suddenly realised I had found my tribe, people who spoke the same strange creative language I did. Although the job can be uncertain and absolutely petrifying at times, wondering where the next bit of work will come from, it is also one of the few careers where a single phone call can change your life. I have been lucky enough to have a few of those moments, and that is what hooked me. It is what keeps me in the business, darling! Ha.
You appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. How did that experience differ from working on The Hobbit trilogy?
Although both were filmed at the other end of the world, The Hobbit in New Zealand and Pirates of the Caribbean in Australia, even with some of the same crew, they were completely different experiences. One was a wonderful job, and the other was a seminal part of my life. I think you can guess which one that was. The Hobbit gave me the incredible chance to go on a journey with amazing actors and friends, and I feel truly lucky to have been part of those movies.
If you were not an actor, what do you think you would be doing instead?
I think I would have loved to be a radio DJ, playing music all day and chatting nonsense. Scott Mills, watch out… although actually, who am I kidding? I could never host a breakfast show. I am absolutely vile in the mornings!
If you could bring any of your characters to a dinner party, who would you invite and why?
I would have to invite my character from The Hobbit, Ori the dwarf. He would be absolutely terrified and would probably just sit quietly nibbling on some chips. Whatever you do, do not offer him anything green. He will give you a proper bit of dwarvish iron right up your jacksie!
Is there a question you wish interviewers would ask you but never do?
Why are you so so so handsome! Funny how that never comes up!
Finally, what is next for you after Robin Hood and Maid Marian?
More panto, yes. It all starts again for us in February. We give ourselves a month off in between, and then it is back to it. After that, I have some solo writing projects lined up, and the occasional acting job. I am always waiting for that phone call!
Our exclusive chat with Adam Brown makes one thing certain: whether he’s wielding a bow in Newburyshire, a sword on the high seas, or a journal in Middle-earth, his storytelling spirit is as bold as ever.
Robin Hood and Maid Marian promises the kind of inventive, high-energy panto that audiences return for year after year and Brown is already gearing up for more writing, more performing, and maybe even that next life-changing phone call. Until then, the Corn Exchange is the perfect place to catch him in full festive flight, delivering mischief, heart, and humour in true Adam Brown style.