NOTTS film-lovers are used to hearing the city's most famous legend swagger about the screen with an accent that's more sunny California than sunny Calverton.

Kevin Costner and the Walt Disney cartoon fox drawled about a place called "Noding-Ham" while Errol Flynn and Patrick Bergen went for something more plummy.

Even Jonas Armstrong, TV's latest incarnation, sounded like a Mancunian Scally version of the swashbuckling outlaw.

But that's all about to change.

For Russell Crowe, the latest Robin, who is due to arrive at cinemas in May in a Ridley Scott re-telling of the tale, is perhaps one of the first to attempt a Nottingham accent.

The revelation came from Calverton actress Sara Poyzer, who was called into Pinewood Studios to dub "background voices" into the film, named Robin Hood. Sara, 39, is a West End star, having played the Julie Walters role in the stage version of Billy Elliot and worked alongside Lenny Henry in his award-winning role as Othello.

"I've done dubbing work on films before, such as Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp" she explained. "I think I was called up for this one because they were looking for people with Nottingham accents."

Dubbing involves overlaying voices on to the finished film to give the sound a greater sense of depth.

Sara spent one day working on scenes involving Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, who is playing Maid Marian, together with the accent coach who taught both actors to perfect the Notts twang.

"Both Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett are attempting a North Notts accent," she said. "I was really pleased about it because I found Kevin Costner's American Robin Hood was quite frustrating.

"The accent is a little bit different from mine. It's things like 'corp' for 'cup', 'munkeh' for 'monkey' and 'Robin Hud' instead of 'Robin Hood'. I thought Russell Crowe did a pretty good job.

"I was saying to the producer, 'Why make another Robin Hood?' but this one seems more historically accurate. And having the Notts accents gives it an authentic feel."

It might be difficult to pick up Sara's voice in the film as it is meant to form part of the backdrop.

"I did a lot of dubbing in the scenes with Cate Blanchett. I had to call out Maid Marian's name a few times," she said. "I was also doing background voices in several village scenes. I had to say lines like, 'Please don't burn us!' and 'Please don't take our children'! It's quite violent and full-on."

Overall, Sara was impressed with the film, which arrives in cinemas on May 14.

"The film looks brilliant – really good. I'm looking forward to seeing it," she said.

Meanwhile, Sara is one of a cast of Notts favourites that's been assembled by Nottingham Playhouse for its all-singing, all-dancing production of Forever Young. The play fast-forwards the lives of its panto stars to 50 years down the line when they are all trapped in an old folks' home under the charge of Sara's character, a formidable opera singing nurse.

"It's quite strange for the others to be playing themselves, 50 years in the future," she said. "But most of the cast have worked together before and the play is a lot of fun."

Forever Young is at Nottingham Playhouse from February 11-27. For tickets call 0115 941 9419.

jennifer.scott@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk