Aladdin

The panto season kicked off in District 9 with GMS and perennial favourite, Aladdin - and for those of you who don't know the story - Aladdin lives with his mother, Widow Twankey and brother Wishee Washee in Old Peking. The Emperor has a daughter, Princess Mandarin, who Aladdin is in love with but no chance of marriage, because Aladdin is too poor. On the scene comes the baddie, Abanazar, who steals Aladdin's magic lamp, but Aladdin overcomes all the odds to become wealthy and marries his princess - pure fun and joy all the way along!!

Neatly directed on such a small stage by Richard Sharp, with musical direction by Val Johnston, this group perform with lots of enthusiasm and energy. The script was by the panto favourite, Alan P Frayn and contained lots of jokes which appealed to both young and old. I was impressed by the use of backing tracks, with modern songs and music put together very well. Because of the stage restrictions, the scenery was simple but effective,

The role of Aladdin was played by Jenny Hiorns - she gave a sincere and confident performance and her duets with Princess Mandarin, played by a pretty Rebecca Haigh, were charmingly put across. Graham Oxtoby put lots of gusto into his performance as Wishee Washee, appreciated by the audience!  Widow Twankey, performed here by Chris White, was a sexy Dame, always up for a bit of 'hanky-panky' - his costumes could have been more garish, but he made up for this in his performance. Abanazar was played with wicked aplomb by Jonny Fallas. The Princess's handmaiden, So-Shy, played by Emma Morton, gave a spirited performance with plenty of personality - her scenes with the Princess were great fun. 

The Emperor, Neil Duff, could have been a bit snootier and strong, but first night nerves may have made him hold back a little. The two Peking policemen, Yu-dun-Wong and Hu-Dun-Pong, played by Doreen Escolme and Joanne Jackson respectively, were suitably daft and lived up to their character names!!  Elaine McAleese played the Spirit of the Ring in her own inimitable way, beautifully costumed and confident in performance. The revelation of the evening was Brooke Hamblin as the Genie of the Lamp - full of energy with strong vocals and movement - and a divine shade of blue!  Erin Smith had the unenviable task of being the Executioner, but I am glad to say, did not have to carry out her duties!  Lynne Hill, apart from being the Choreographer, with some tricky moves for the cast, was also the Emperor's dream Temptress - always spot on in her stage presence. Last but by no means least, was Keith Holt, as Abanazar's Slave - his facial expressions in his scene were brlliant!

The principal cast were well supported by an enthusiastic chorus - Ashleigh Bassett, Barbara Hawksworth, Lynne Hill, Keith Holt, Erin Ocsko, Annette Roe, Isabelle Roe, Erin Smith and Charlotte Stringer.

Once again, the production was well directed by Richard Sharp, produced by Rebecca Haigh, Musical Direction by Val Johnston, Choreography by Lynne Hill. The Stage Manager was Andrew Oxtoby, Prompt by Richard Escolm, Props by Tess Cowles and Sasha Marshall, Lighting by Adam Holmes, Sound by Richard Sharp, Makeup by Erin Ocsko, Wardrobe by Elaine McAleese and Amelia Jackson. Set Build; Jemma Bennett, Mark Jackson and GMS cast. Stage Crew; Ian Barber (marking 100 consecutive shows since 1971), Tess Cowles, Sam Dorsman, Sasha Marshall, Andrew Oxtoby and Jack Wright. House Manager was Phyllis Jackson with her lovely ladies!

This is community theatre at its best - families all working together to bring live theatre to their fully supportive audiences - it has been a real pleasure for me to be with you in your enthusiasm for pantomime!

Congratulations to you all !!

 

 

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