Aladdin

Stagedoor’s production of Aladdin written and directed by Chris Anderton had all the ingredients for a recipe of success complete with audience full of eager Beavers and helpers who definitely delivered with the decibels. That’s all the feedback you need really and lovely how the cast came out at the end.

With backcloths featuring more glitter than Ru Paul’s Drag Race, set Producer Dennis Boulderstone and Ben Stanier with Technical Crew Dave Haycock, Andrew Parmar, Chris Anderton, Dave Cliff, Shane McKee and Charlotte Parmar really go to town.  Singing ultraviolet puppets, special effect of the Genie actually coming out of the lamp and a flying carpet that was truly magical, I’m not sure they could have thrown anymore at us (I think some late nights will have been involved to create such fabulous effects?!).

Costume Designer Wallace Wareham and helpers Debs Lyons and Pauline Doctor created a colour extravaganza with colour themed scenes and not to mention the ten (yes, ten!) costume changes the Dame had and some in seconds - complete with wig and elaborate headdress that Divina de Campo Drag Race UK Runner Up would definitely approve of.

Lighting by Norman Bowes and John Cocking and Sound Andrew Sutton and Stephen Porter also added to the ambience of the show.

Dance Choreographer Teresa Harper worked her magic on the cast and chorus with members as young as 4 adding the essential cute factor.

Philip Morris as Widow Twankey must surely be a quick-change artiste with over-large costumes and an array of what must have been weighty wigs he made it look easy. With a good rapport with the audience and any unsuspecting male in the audience getting his attention he was able to switch from talking to character and audience - his innuendos pitched just right. Philip had a great rapport with Graham Cohen playing Wishy Washey - almost like a double act. Graham is very likeable on stage and definitely gets the audience on side. Entering on a mobility scooter with the line, “Nothing like a good entrance and this is nothing like a good entrance” With custard pie jokes adding to the vaudeville feel.

Teresa Harper as Slave of The Ring adds her glam and voice to the part and Ben Stanier as evil Abanazar had to shout to be heard over the boos and shouting. The scene selling the lamps I thought my ears would burst - perfect panto!

PC Po Charlotte Parmar and PC King Dave Haycock entrance in the dark with torches to a well-known cop theme tune, their antics and the cooking scene will stay with me for a while especially the toe nails (reaches for the bucket)!

The rest of the cast added their support too - Dennis Boulderstone as Aladdin, Lauren Dejanger as Princess Jasmine (whom I would have liked to have seen more of) Elaine Sessions as the Empress, Sophie White as So Shy and Anthony Hemmings-Hughes as the Genie.

Well done to Stagedoor Productions on a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, it was an extravaganza. Thank you for making my guest and I so welcome and bonus, we cleaned up on the raffle (oh yes we did)!

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