Aladdin

A good traditional pantomime takes a lot of beating and this society can always be relied upon to put on a panto that pleases both young and old, with nothing to offend or frighten the horses. 

There were a lot of empty seats at this opening performance which was a shame.  The society usually publicises their productions around the area and beyond, as well as on social media, so I do hope plenty of   young people, as well as adults of course, came long to enjoy the remaining performances.

At this performance Molly Hill was Spirit of the Ring.  She spoke rather quickly, perhaps due to nerves, but nevertheless we could hear every word, so well done.  Matthew Elliston as Abanazar, the villain of the piece, was comically menacing rather than scary, which I liked.  He worked the audience as best he could, not an easy job on this opening night. Rachel Betts was a lively Aladdin and was well supported by Sue Grant as Wishee Washee. Both being experienced actors, we knew the roles were in good hands.  Well done to both.

Dean Kiely is a natural when it comes to playing a pantomime Dame.  He has the ability to connect with the audience from the start and obviously enjoys it.  Why else would he keep coming back for more?  This year of course it was Widow Twanky in a succession of wonderfully over the top costumes and wigs. Another excellent performance from this experienced actor and singer.

The Princess was nicely played by Isabel Hartley.  She did look rather ill at ease at times but there again this was the first night so hopefully she was able to relax more into her role for the rest of the run.  There were other good performances from Bryony Kay as the Genie of the Lamp and Jean Schofield as the Grand Empress. Well done to Lily Betts who surprised us all by emerging from the washing machine as Shrunk Wishee.

The main characters were well supported by the other members of the cast.  The three policemen managed their moves without bumping into each other which was no mean feat and Sam Elliston did a good job as the Gorilla (or, as the audience seemed to think, a bear!)

The chorus of children were, I’m sure, well rehearsed on how to behave on stage and for the most part were smiley and obviously enjoying what they were doing.  Not everyone though seemed familiar with the dance moves.  This could of course have been down to the urge to look for familiar faces in the audience rather than concentrating on what they were supposed to be doing.   I don’t need to tell the director that this is to be discouraged as she knows a well as I do that this is easier said than done. 

Costumes and scenery were good and up to the standard we have come to expect from the society. Musical accompaniment was pre-recorded which worked well.  My only criticism here is the abrupt ending to the music at the end of each song, rather than the music giving a smooth transition back to dialogue.  A small thing perhaps but one which does make a difference.   

Overall though this was a nice entertaining production which I enjoyed.  Well done Clavering Players and thank you for inviting me.

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