January is the wrong time to be watching panto.
‘Oh no it’s not!’ exclaim the wonderfully wild cast that make up the NODA award-winning Chrysanths pantomime Aladdin. Peppered with puns, side-splitting slapstick and calamitous chaos, join the impoverished ne’er-do-well as he falls in love, finds fortune and ends up on Mars.
Wait, Mars?
This interpretation of one of the best-known tales associated with The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (The Arabian Nights) is truly unique. It features local law enforcers Hilo (Jed Flowerday) and Lilo (Graham Leigh), an evil empress (Leanne Burgess) and a very helpful Spirit of the Ring (Maria Larkin) whose place in the panto is akin to a fairy god mother. As the curtains close, there’s also more than one happy ending. But that’s not all you need for a spectacular panto is it?
Fear not, traditional festive favourites Widow Twanky (Aaron Hayes) and Wishie Washie (John Sprung-Murphy) also feature prominently, providing endless entertainment. Even momentary slips of the script – and momentary slips through the scenery – were expertly weaved into character and improvised upon. There are chases, silly faces and fart jokes aplenty. At one point, poor Wishie Washie goes for a spin in the washing machine – will Widow Twanky find him in time?
No pantomime is complete without a cackling villain. In this one Abanazar (Phil Gilroy) stalks the stage menacingly, tricking his supposed nephew Aladdin into retrieving the lamp and banishing him to a far away, desolate place. In the far away desolate place, there is an alien that holds a remarkable resemblance to a much-loved family favourite…
Keeping to the brief, musical numbers are not the much-loved Disney delights you’d expect. There were a couple of sound issues in the first half but nothing that removes from the joy of the evening. This performance brings in Tom Jones, Abba and Billy Ocean to name but a few. Standouts are the duets, particularly between Aladdin (Laura Jackson) and Princess (Jessica Nixon) – their harmonic, note-perfect rendition after the interval will have you transfixed.
The real scene-stealer – literally – in this is the staging (Sherry Green, Jed Flowerday & Phil Rochford). It’s big, bold and full of fun. Think bright lights, shimmers and sparkles, and well-made props. The cave has a serenely imposing impact and was made all the more spectacular when populated with tiny, jewelled dancers performing within it. Truly magical.
With dazzling dances and singing those transports, this is one the whole family will enjoy.
Reviewer: Ezzy LaBelle
Reviewed: 11th January 2024
North West End UK Rating:
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