An excerpt from a proposed 13-part premium audio drama that recasts the Robin Hood legend as dark historical fiction.
FORGET WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW.
In the dark of the forest dwells an outlaw. He is not clever. He is not heroic.
He is volatile. He is petty. He is bent on vengeance. His name is Robin Hood.
In the comfort of a manor house dwells a girl. She is not kind. She is not sweet.
She is defiant. She is calculating. She is bent on destruction. Her name is Marian.
On the battlefields of Jerusalem dwells a soldier. He is not honorable. He is not just.
He is greedy. He is narcissistic. He is bent on glory. His name is Richard the Lionheart.
In a castle on a hill dwells an official. He is not skillful. He is not strong.
He is insecure. He is easily misled. He is bent on love. His name is Prince John.
WELCOME TO THIEVES WOOD…
…a place of roiling passions, prejudices, and strivings. A place where oppression and unrest reign. Where Robin Hood is an illiterate hot-head whose lover, Little John, must bear the brunt of his capriciousness. Where Maid Marian is a teenage rebel lashing out at her parents to devastating effect. Where ignorant peasants worship an absentee King whose vainglorious exploits are the very cause of their suffering. Where a well-meaning but weak Prince cedes power to a sadistic Sheriff to placate a political base clamouring for law and order.
Ambitious in scope and similar in tone to Game of Thrones, Thieves Wood is an enthrallingly complex tale with notes of dark humour and striking echoes in our own time. As it propels the listener away from the familiar and towards a shocking yet inevitable climax, the story shows how – in a society structured on inequity – even the best intentions can lead only to disaster.
CREATIVE TEAM:
Wendy Jo Cohen (writer/director/producer) is known for her feature film, The Battle of Pussy Willow Creek (described by the NY Times as having “so many ideas and so much imaginative play that the movie can barely contain them,” and by Filmmaker Magazine as “A heady brew of history, sexuality, and satire.”) She has also written/directed short films and other projects, produced numerous primetime documentaries for the Discovery and History Channels, and assistant-directed a variety of independent features. A graduate of the Conservatory of Theater Arts and Film at SUNY Purchase, Wendy has worked with such legendary actors as Roy Scheider, Stacy Keach, Edie Falco, and Scarlett Johansson.
Leigh Roberts (sound designer/composer) has scored numerous projects for networks like HBO, Discovery Channel, PBS, and A&E. He has composed music for television shows including House, White Collar, Graceland, and Power Rangers, and for a variety of films including the feature documentaries Thank You for Your Service, and HBO’s Emmy-nominated Casting By. Leigh’s most recent feature-length score (co-composed with Allison Piccioni) is for the acclaimed documentary This Changes Everything. From executive producer Geena Davis, this important work shines a spotlight on gender inequalities within Hollywood.