“AIDS AIDS AIDS!”

Earlier this week, it was reported that Alan Doyle, lead singer of the Canadian band Great Big Sea, would play Allen-a-Dale in Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood movie, Nottingham.  In a recent interview, Doyle told MTV that the movie would also feature  *gasp* “lots of singing.”

“He’s a troubadour,” [said] Doyle [of his characater]. “He’s an Irish lute playing balladeer. He’s an artist who loves to sing a song. With two or three other guys, Allen a-Dale is one of the Merry Men who’s followed Robin Hood [Russell Crowe] for a long time and hopes to continue to do so. Yes, I will be playing the lute in the film.”
“There is a lot of singing in the film,” he told us. “A lot of it by different people in different parts of the film. I don’t know quite yet if Russell and I will be singing together. But there will be lots of music in the film.”
“I wrote a few songs with Russell for his band, and he wrote a few with me for Great Big Sea, and I also produced a record for his band and actually toured a couple of times in Australia and in Europe. He’s got a real different skill set than I have. He’s a real keen wordsmith as most of my actor friends are.”

A wordsmith, eh? That’s strange, I’ve often known him to communicate only in 30-Odd Foot of Grunts! (no high five?).  So, to recap, Robin Hood wears tights, his best friend is a Great Big Seaman, and they spend all day in the woods playing ballads.  And in his spare time he steals from the rich and gives to the drama club.