WONTHAGGI THEATRICAL GROUP

SIR ROBIN, THE BRAVE

 

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NAME: SIR ROBIN, THE BRAVE

ARCHETYPE:The Poet or Bard

SUBVERSION: He’s a complete coward that for all his romantics about knighthood, abhors confrontation.

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DESCRIPTION: Sir Robin (the brave?) is a Knight sworn to duty out of friendship and a great desire to do great deeds, but unfortunately lacks the capacity to do so on account of his inherent cowardice. Even though in many situations that cowardice is called for.

Sir Robin’s arc is intentionally very small and very comedic. The show never turns him into a genuinely brave hero. Instead, it leans into the joke that his reputation for bravery is wildly exaggerated.

At the start, Robin is introduced as a knight whose minstrel sings grand ballads about his fearless exploits. Robin is deeply cowardly. He panics easily, avoids danger whenever possible, and frequently tries to run away from threats rather than face them.

As the quest progresses, that contradiction becomes the central joke of the character. Robin continues to be celebrated as a legendary hero while his behaviour repeatedly reveals the opposite. The minstrel’s songs grow increasingly ridiculous as they try to frame Robin’s cowardice as strategic heroism.

By the end of the story, Robin hasn’t truly transformed into a brave knight. Instead, the arc lands on comedic acceptance: he remains essentially the same fearful character, but he is still among Arthur’s knights and part of the Grail adventure.

In simple terms, Robin’s arc is satirical rather than transformational.

He begins as a coward with a heroic reputation, and the show repeatedly confirms that the reputation is almost entirely fictional. The humour comes from watching the legend grow while the man himself continues to look for the nearest escape route.     

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Role: Supporting Comic Lead, Male or Female.

Vocal Range: Tenor. Approx. B2 to A4.

Age: Adult Male or Female

 

Energy: Nervous, anxious, self-protective. Comic panic energy. Needs to be contained and not over the top.

Movement: Reactive and hesitant. Frequent retreating, flinching, and physical comedy tied to fear. Jittery and frantic at times.

Vocal Style: Character tenor with strong comedic storytelling. Clear diction and expressive delivery suited to humorous lyrics.    

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Comparable Roles

Role 1: Amos Hart – Chicago

Amos constantly tries to present himself as respectable and strong but is easily overwhelmed and ignored. Like Robin, he occupies the comic space of a man trying to maintain dignity while clearly out of his depth.

 Role 2: Leo Bloom – The Producers

Leo begins the show anxious, timid, and easily panicked despite being dragged into grand schemes. Like Robin, the comedy comes from exaggerated fear reactions and a character constantly trying to avoid danger.

Role 3: Elder Cunningham – The Book of Mormon

A character who tries to appear brave and capable but frequently panics and improvises his way through danger. The comedy comes from exaggerated storytelling and desperate attempts to live up to expectations

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AUDITION TIPS: When Robin learns there’s fighting involved in being a knight, a controlled, subdued reaction will always be better than a wildly expressive demonstration of fear and panic.   

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AUDITION SCENES :

Act 1, Scene 3: Script pp. 5–9

Act 1, Scene 4: Script pp. 12–13 

 

AUDITION SONGS:

No. 20 – Won’t Succeed On Broadway (Bars 1–48)

No. 13 – Knights of the Round Table (Bars 1–36)