Meet the Director behind Robin Hood
Elvi Piper is a freelance theatre director and playwright. She trained at Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama and Insitut del Teatre, Barcelona. Elvi is the founder and current Artistic Director of award-winning family theatre company Wrongsemble.
With a background in participatory arts engagement Elvi has created, managed and delivered exciting programmes for organisations including The National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Leeds Playhouse, and The Old Vic. Elvi has regularly undertaken the role of Mentor Director for the National theatre's Connections programme, and acted as Assistant Director on the National Theatre's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time schools' tours.
Elvi is also the Director behind our 2025 Park Show The Wizard of Oz, it's an honour to have her back at the Dukes this year as she works hard to bring the story of Robin Hood to life!
We’re so excited to have you back to direct this year’s Park Show after the success of The Wizard of Oz last year! Can you let audiences know what to expect from this year’s show, Robin Hood?
First of all, I’m absolutely delighted to be back! Last summer was such a special experience, and there’s something about making theatre in Williamson Park that gets completely under your skin. The audiences, the setting, the scale of it all – it’s unlike anything else. This year we’re diving into the world of Robin Hood (written by the brilliant Dan Bye again), and it’s been a real joy to bring it to life with so many of the creatives and crew who helped produce last year’s production. Audiences can expect a big summer adventure with plenty of laughs, music, a little bit of romance and absolutely epic amounts of action! At its heart, it’s a story about community, standing up for what’s right and finding hope in difficult times, but it’s also packed full of high-octane adventure. It’s the perfect story for the Park!
The Park is such a huge space and has so many places for you to get stuck into. What journey will audiences be taken on as they travel from scene to scene?
One of the things I love most about the Park Show is that the audience gets to go on the journey with us. You’re not sitting in one place watching the story happen from a distance, you’re right in the thick of it. We’ll take audiences from the Sheriff’s decadent palace, to an archery competition, and the depths of the Forest; with hidden hideouts, Robin’s band of outlaws and nail-biting fights as our heroes strive to stay one step ahead of the hideous Sheriff. Williamson Park is full of incredible spaces and every location feels like a new episode in the story. There are moments where the park feels vast and epic, and others where it feels wonderfully intimate. We want it to be places and spaces people know, but brought to life in ways that feel really unexpected.
What movies, media or art have you taken inspiration from to help bring Robin Hood to life?
There are probably bits and pieces from all sorts of places floating around in my head, but I try not to get too tied to any one version. Robin Hood is astory that’s been retold for hundreds of years, and every generation seems to find something new in it - everyone has their ‘version’ - and I want everyone to see a bit of that in this adaption! From the joyful music of Disney’s animation, the camp nature of ‘Men in Tights’, the epic Kevin Costner version, and even a bit of the slapstick humour of ‘Maid Marian’ with Tony Robinson…
But, more than anything, we’ve taken inspiration from the park itself. Once you start looking at the woods, pathways and hidden corners through the eyes of an outlaw, ideas start appearing everywhere! The setting does a lot of the storytelling for us. We’ve also leaned into the danger, magic and sense of adventure that make Robin Hood such an enduring favourite for all ages.
If you could wear any of the costumes for a day, which one would you choose?
They are all going to be so good, how do I choose? But I’ll have to go with Marian’s outfits - not your usual princess, she’s able to swing a sword, shoot an arrow and defeat even the most evil of villains - all the while still looking fabulous. Think Medieval veiled Princess hat, paired with muddy knee high riding boots! That said, Prince Foppingham (who is betrothed to Marian) may be sporting some pretty excellent wigs and feathers…less practical, but equally fabulous! Haha!
How would you describe this version of Robin Hood in three words?
Dangerous. Epic. Big-hearted.
Robin Hood runs from 17th July - 23rd August
Read an Interview of Caitlin Mawhinney, the Designer behind Robin Hood
