Aladdin

Exuberant, colourful, fast-paced, Director Mary Logan brought us a brilliant production of this old favourite.

Simple yet extremely effective sets enabled the quick changes necessary in this fast-moving panto. Peking was nicely done, and the washing machines in the ‘laundromat’ also. There were some imaginative props too, especially for the British Airways scene! Imaginative, excellent use of lighting conjured up the deep cave, for example, or waves, or a disco.

A wonderful selection of costumes – colourful, glitzy, dazzling, scary in the case of the creepy cave dwellers, my companion and I agreed that they were something all the children in the audience will remember. As for the Widow Twankey’s costumes - sunglasses were required, so bright and outrageous were they!

There were jolly, foot-tapping songs throughout, with excellent musical direction by Bob Good. Making full use of the stage, with very good choreography by Sarah Newey, the great routines produced a lot of fun.

This was a wonderful team production, which must have been such a delight to be a part of – the audience certainly found it great fun to watch! Everyone had a lot to do, the dance numbers will have been a great workout for the more mature members of the cast! So much colour and sparkle – just what a panto should be – with some clever jokes, as well as corny ones, nothing too rude though, and some innovative sketches like the airport and flying scenes.

Steve Alais was the brilliantly scary villain Abanazar, in the most exotic, dark costume, long black gloves, wicked makeup. An excellent performance. Ben Dray made a super, bouncy genie in his fine green costume, so much energy. The Twankey family were all great, especially of course the matriarch, played to perfection in ever more outrageous garb by Peter Flew. Our heroine, Princess Jasmine, played by Stephanie Napier, was in fine voice, and looked very glamorous. Special mention should be made, I feel, of her maidservant Suki. Charlotte Fishwick expressed her excitement, exuberance, worry and fear, and final delight exceptionally naturally – a performance I shall not forget in a hurry.

Add to all this the presence of a whole host of Brownies in the front rows on the night I attended, and their wonderful excites cries of glee and horror, and this was Panto at its Best!

Thank you, Godalming Theatre Group!

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