Ashley Joseph plays Robin in Robin Hood and the Merry Mandem, the new East London pantomime at Stratford East running from 21 November 2026 to 2 January 2027. Yolanda Mercy writes and Jade Lewis directs.
Ashley Joseph takes the title role in Robin Hood and the Merry Mandem, the pantomime Stratford East has made for this winter, with the full company and creative team confirmed today. Joseph was born in Newham and came up through the theatre’s own youth company, and has appeared on its stage before in The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, Robin Hood and The Blacks.
Playing the Mayor is Toyin Ayedun-Alase, whose stage credits include The Clinic at the Almeida and Much Ado About Nothing for the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican. Eshan Gopal, whose West End work takes in The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium and Thriller Live at the Lyric Theatre, is Lil John Jr, and Daniel Jacob — of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie in the West End and on tour, and of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK — plays Muva.
Nickcolia King-N’da is Will Scarlet, bringing credits from Cruel Intentions at The Other Palace and from The Provoked Wife and Venice Preserved for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Kandaka Moore, whose work includes Cake at the Lyric Theatre and ZooNation’s Sylvia at the Old Vic, plays FT, and Helen K Wint completes the principals as Marian; her credits include Moulin Rouge! The Musical at the Piccadilly and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! at Wyndham’s.
The script is by Yolanda Mercy, the BAFTA-nominated writer of Queenie for Channel 4 and Disney and of Failure Project at Soho Theatre, in her first piece of work for the theatre. Jade Lewis directs, an Olivier Award-winner whose credits include Sleepova at the Bush Theatre and Superhoe at the Royal Court, and who is also Stratford East’s Associate Artistic Director. Music and lyrics are by Robert Hyman, with set and costume design by Stewart J. Charlesworth.
“I believe that theatre is for everyone and families have a right to access theatre spaces, which makes directing a Panto such an honour and a privilege especially working with Stratford East Panto royalty Rob Hyman and Stewart Charlesworth,” Lewis said. “Yolanda Mercy is an incredible artist, who I have collaborated with throughout my career, and I am elated to be welcoming her to the wonderful world of Stratford East, to create a fun, dynamic, classic Stratford pantomime. Our cast and creative team are iconic in their own field which makes this collaboration a dream!”
Hyman is the closest thing the building has to a pantomime fixture. He has been attached to the Stratford East panto for 28 years, since musical directing Cinderella in 1998, and has written 300 songs for the form so far. His Cinderella of 2008 was the first pantomime to be nominated for an Olivier Award, and Rapunzel in 2017 won him a Great British Pantomime Award.
Completing the creative team are choreographer Jade Hackett, lighting designer Craig West, sound designer Conrad Kira, musical director Rachel Wells, casting director Rob Kelly and costume supervisor Chantal Short. Wells is joined in the band by Sara Farina on bass and Perry Melius on drums.
This year’s story moves Sherwood to E15. Robin trades a blazer for a hoodie and leads the Merry Mandem across East London streets, stations, shops and estates, taking from the rich and backing the poor, with the prospect of being shipped off to the far end of the Central line standing in for the villain’s usual comeuppance.
Lisa Spirling, Stratford East’s Artistic Director, said: “Here at Stratford East, we take Panto very, very seriously! Each year a brand-new pantomime is created especially for our audiences in Newham and beyond. This year we are delighted to bring Robin Hood to East London and to see them and their Merry Mandem let loose on our stage. This dream creative team is brilliantly led by our Associate Artistic Director Jade Lewis, working with her long-time collaborator writer Yolanda Mercy, who have come together with Stratford Panto legends Rob Hyman (music) and Stewart Charlesworth (design) to create a pantomime that is as irreverent, clever and magical as ever.”
Robin Hood and the Merry Mandem is a Stratford East production and runs at the Theatre Royal Stratford East in Gerry Raffles Square, E15, from 21 November 2026 to 2 January 2027. It is billed as suitable for all ages, and tickets are on sale now through the theatre’s own box office.
