The Christmas show at Kingston’s Rose is another lively musical powered by the youthful vigour of the theatre’s junior thesps.

Robin Hood and the Christmas Heist, which runs until Jan 5, is an original story by Chris Bush, unencumbered by the usual panto versions of the folklore tale set in Sherwood Forest.

Matthew Ganley (Robin) shares fruit ith Emma Manton (Marian). All pictures by Mark Douet

The main protagonists walk around with electric guitars, the Sheriff of Nottingham (a magnificent performance by Andrew Whitehead) plays a violin, while drums and flute also accompany the songs by Matt Winkworth, which include adaptations of well-known carols.

Robin (Matthew Ganley) is dressed in green, but that’s about as far as his outlaw image goes. He proves unusually conciliatory towards his arch-enemy in the castle, while his lover Maid Marian (Emma Manton), comes across more like a rather jolly nursery school teacher.

Elements of the ancient yarn are incorporated, including the visit of Prince John (Louis McKillop), but this Robin is less like Errol Flynn and more like a thoughtful social worker!

What really stands out in this fresh Rose production, directed by Elin Scofield and with superb choreography by Olivia Shouler, is the quality of the singing and harmonising, which is simply magnificent.

Although the Sheriff steals many of the scenes (imagine Brian Blessed playing Henry Vlll), it’s the young cast – alternating in two groups through the run – whose breezy confidence and enthusiasm really make this show.

Criticisms? The protracted wordiness of some of the main characters’ speeches leave younger audience members fidgeting as they wait for more stage action, while Chris Bush could have laced the script with a few more jokes and one-liners. Running time is just shy of two and a half hours.

The reindeer created by puppeteer Matthew Forbes is one of the stars of the show

Despite the rather static and unchanging staging, the show blossoms in the second half when the reindeer (conjured up by puppetry director Matthew Forbes) comes into its own and briefly upstages the Sheriff.

Novel touches include putting some of the younger cast members on scooters with headlights – an entertaining and topical idea, while lighting designer Jai Morjaria’s brilliant flaming arrow special effects, complete with whooshing sound, are a triumph.

Rose artistic director Christopher Haydon has summed the show up as “joyful, mischievous and merry”, but it also has serious messages woven into the script on topics from homelessness to tax fairness.

Box Office: 020 8174 0090, or visit www.rosetheatre.org