Aladdin

The magic carpet of pantomime has well and truly taken flight again in North Devon and the Croyde Players lit up the stage with glitter and enchantment, as they transformed Croyde Village Hall into Old Pekin to bring to life the story of Aladdin.

After the long and painful Covid-driven absence of theatre for so many players, the panto created a deliciously entertaining and much anticipated reunion for the community. And what a show!

Written and directed by Tony Meeds and Tony Parker, the show sparkled from beginning to end, radiating colour,enthusiasm and the talents of not just the cast but all involved.
After some enticing introductions to one or two of the characters the curtains opened onto the brightly depictedPekin streets, all gloriously crafted by the adept hands of Nick Kidwell and family.
Adding enormously to the uplifting opening chorus was a rather unusual feature – every single occupant of the stage was beaming at the audience and it set a high bar for the whole show which did not drop once.
Reuben Rodwell who played a cheeky scamp of an Aladdin, made an enviable theatrical debut, owning the stage in every scene with charm and confidence, he was accompanied by Eva Matthews as a lovely, captivating Jasmine and the bubbly Elsie Lambert as her faithful and witty maid, Say Wen, also making her theatrical debut.
The two bumbling police officers PC Ping and PC Pong were hilarious, but one of the highlights for me was their rendition of I know him So Well which was very funny but still beautifully sung.
The Monarchy of Old Pekin were wonderfully stately and very entertainingly relaxed about who’s line it was, having the audience in stitches on the odd occasion when they “may” have been improvising. Norman Rider was a very stern and commanding Empress and Philip Milton as the Emperor was completely unable to disguise a rather fabulous singing voice.
Phil Whatling portrayed an outrageously funny Wishee Washee, with wickedly spicy humour to entertain the most cynical of theatre-goers.
The chorus of guards and villagers were kept very busy and they complemented the show with their humour and singing and dance. Pantomime choreography can always provide a challenge as balancing moves with the ranges of experience and age can be difficult but the Croyde Players handled this like pros – not a foot out of place and consistently tight, imaginative dances to great numbers including 9- 5 and Walking on Sunshine.
Panto is surely for and about children and there is always the ‘Awwww’ moment when the youngest members of the casts take to the boards. This was particularly provided when Bea Matthews appeared in gold spangles as the Genie of the Ring – she was articulate and word perfect and, given this was also her first time on stage, I think there is a fair chance she, like all of the children, will be gracing stages for years to come. Her older counterpart, The Genie of the Lamp was played by Martin Edwards with great aplomb.
The very talented Widow Twankey Tony Parker had the audience in stitches with his antics, particularly with his ability to pull the most hilarious faces when “acting natural”. Tony Meeds’ first appearance gave the impression of a terrifying Darth Vadar until he spoke, at which point he became one of the most charming, urbane baddies it has been my pleasure to boo in a very long time.
The show’s colour was testament to the efforts of the wonderful costumes by Hazel Lydon and the wonderful props and make up – not to mention the pyro, CGI and lighting which added another dimension to the show.
But the final word should go to the architects of the panto, Tony Parker and Tony Meeds who wrote and directed Aladdin. The cast rehearsed over a long period through all the threatened setbacks of this uncertain period, sometimes even rehearsing online. Confidence and the cohesion of a cast always comes from the encouragement and tutelage of the show’s directors – the atmosphere was a credit to their hard work, ingenuity, humour and encouragement. What a cast, what a community, what a show!

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