Friday, April 26

Tag: Jo Servi

Disney’s Aladdin – Edinburgh Playhouse
Scotland

Disney’s Aladdin – Edinburgh Playhouse

As a childhood favourite movie for a lot of people, Disney had a lot of work cut out for them to translate the magical animated masterpiece onto the live stage. Whilst they have some fantastic cast members and wonderful costumes, I’m sad to say the magic fell a little short. One cannot deny that the casting choices of the production team are impeccable: Gavin Adams plays the perfect cheeky thief Aladdin. His vocals never waver along with his energy. Our Princess Jasmine (Desmonda Cathabel) is head strong, witty and regal; she makes the perfect Princess Jasmine, bringing the animated beauty to life. Also true to the movie our villain Jafar (Adam Strong) has nailed the voice made famous by Jonathan Freeman and of course the laugh. Beside him Angelo Paragoso makes a hilarious Iago (hum...
Dreamgirls – Edinburgh Playhouse
Scotland

Dreamgirls – Edinburgh Playhouse

Effie White (Nicole Raquel Dennis), Lorrell Robinson (Paige Peddie) and Deena Jones (Natalie Kassanga) are the talented young 60s R&B group The Dreamettes. This musical charts their journey to stardom over a ten year period (subtly done through music genre and changes in costumes and wigs, by Suzanne Runciman, Danielle Bryson, Poppy Camden, Natalie Onoufriou, Lee-Ellen Wilson, Maria McLarnon, Olta Citozi, Aimee Harrison and Kirstie Lavin). It's not all singing and dancing though, with their journey including compromise, broken friendships (as seen in their name change from the Dreamettes, to The Dreams, and later Deena Jones and The Dreams) and the inherent issues of trying to make it as a black person in a white-dominated industry, aided and hindered by Dom Hartley-Harris as Curtis T...