Paul Holman’s traditional family pantomimes are renowned for their spectacular sets and lavish costumes and Aladdin is no exception.
However this year’s production at The Carriageworks Theatre is lacking in one essential ingredient slapstick comedy and brash belly laugh humour.
Despite having a fine comedy team led by Carriageworks favourite, the inimitable Jez Edwards (Wishee Washee) , comedy and audience participation appear to have been ‘down-sized’ to make room for an overdose of vocals that, after a while, become repetitious leaving the younger children in the audience restless and bored.
As Aladdin,when 911 boy band singer, Lee Brennan eventually gets up to speed he makes an appealing, energetic and believable rags-to-riches hero. He fits into comedy numbers superbly and blends beautifully with Charley MacLaren (Princess Yasmin)in the vocals. Together the couple are a dream team.
But it took Stephen’s Richards entrance as Widow Twankey, to inject vitality and a big cheesy smile into what was fast becoming a rather dismal affair. One of the best dames to grace the theatre’s stage Richards is everything a pantomime dame should be raucous, in-your-face, and a mistress of the innuendo with a fabulous array of frocks.
Joe Connor’s Abanazaar was menancing, powerful and imposing but never overly frightening to the tiny tots and he eventually transcended into the villain-you-love-to-hate.
With some exciting choreography executed with gusto by the four Pantomime Dancers Aladdin certainly fits the bill as a pantomime treat for the whole family.
Review by Liz Coggins
To 9 January