Aladdin

BASE – ALADDIN

Tuesday 21st February 2022

It’s February half-term, we’re in the Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton. It must be Pantomime time for BASE. Fantastic to be back amid an eagerly awaiting audience. Transporting us to Oriental Won-Long-Poo, theatre goers are Immersed into the latest production from Burton Amateur Stage Entertainers - Aladdin.

And what a wonderful pantomime they gave us, treats galore, real laugh out loud, slapstick humour, thoroughly laced with fabulous witty one-liners and enough innuendo to satisfy the most ardent of UK panto goers. Well done to BASE for upholding the very British tradition of pantomime. Oh Yes, they did!

Bright and breezy from the cast opening number, Brand New Day, lovely tight well-schooled and rehearsed harmonies, curtesy of Vocal Supervisor Adam Hopkin, set the tone very much for the quality of the rest of the show to follow.

Aladdin, Callie Brandrick had a real leading stage presence, interacted well with all the cast particularly love interest the lovely Princess Jasmine, Lilli-Mai Wardle, good dynamic between both performers whose confidence built as the show progressed.

Widow Twankey, Chris Knight, is certainly Dame enough for most men, too much so for his chosen suitor/love interest on the front row, who after one-to-many overt advances, upped and legged it, which inadvertently and to great comic effect became even funnier when Widow Twankey loomed to woo him yet again only to find an empty seat in front of her, which was hilarious to say the least.

Matt O’Donnelt as the evil wizard Abanazar ably stirred the booing audience with knowing panache, having real fun being bad.

The star scene stealer for me last night was Sam Uche as Wishee Washee, built a great rapport with the audience from the start, involved in most of the humour. The washing machine scene and Twankey Diner slapstick scenes were comic gold, an absolute bundle of energy and fun packed in a small package. Ooh! Me plums.

June Austin as the Spirit of the Ring, aloof to her master’s whim’s, did the best she could in her canny way to foil Abanazar’s evil ways.

Keirain Swann very impressive as The Genie of the Lamp was exactly right, over the top but in the right way, it’s a shame he couldn’t be used more in the show. In fact, the whole cast exuded a real joy of being back on stage, which was utterly infectious.

Directors Lynda Freeman and Martin Goodall together with their production and backstage team brought us a magical very well-presented show, the costumes were amazing, all adding to the overall spectacle; similarly with the sound, my only note would be that one duet was slightly overpowered by the backing music, but most wouldn’t have noticed. Lighting, again excellent, good use of ultra-violet lighting in the very effective flying carpet scene.

Choreographers Sam Uche and Callie Brandrick pulled out all the stops, giving us cool, slick routines, I especially enjoyed the tap routine. Movement of the chorus, dancers and leads worked visually very well. Accompanist Alex Priestly has great feeling and touch in his playing, performing exactly what was required.

A complete comic tonic, just what the doctor ordered.

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