Aladdin

NOMADS’ panto choice for 2015 was the recently voted the UK’s most performed pantomime Aladdin.  

The secret to a successful panto is pace and attack and this production had those things in abundance.

Right from the start when Andy McGowan made his appearance as Abanazar the audience entered into the spirit of the show.  He revelled in his villainy and handled the heckling well.

It was great to see Steve Beach donning his Dame’s frocks once again as Widow Twankey  He is an excellent dame and produced plenty of laughs in the traditional manner.  The laundry scene was well done and very funny.  Offering strong support throughout was Colin Scott as Wishee Washee the younger hard working son, who had great rapport with the audience; aided and abetted by So Shi the Panda (Rattikan Changjorhor).

Of course No1 son Aladdin, not quite so addicted to work, is the eponymous hero of the plot; played very convincingly by Charlie Avison and "he" and the Princess Jasmine (Lauren Horncastle) got the best from their roles. 

There was a lovely pairing with Alan Coogan as Sultan Vin Egur and his Sultana (his current wife) Anita Lang.  This pair got a great amount from their roles gaining lots of laughs with some well timed jokes some at the expense of the obsequious Vizir played well by Jake Overy.

The show has two Genies and both made every appearance with the requisite flash.  Helen Rossiter was the Genie of the Ring and she was very good, nice looking, wearing a beautiful costume but her whole performance was spent virtually side-on and I would so loved  to have seen more of her.   Then we had Alex Armstrong as the rather grumpy Genie of the Lamp who did well, getting the necessary laughs through his fatalistic approach.  Well, a thousand years inside a lamp can’t be much fun.

As with all pantomimes the chorus work hard and this Aladdin chorus was no exception.  All in good voice and all executing some great choreography.

NOMADS always have a strong production team and this was no less evident in this production.  Director Sarah Smith, Musical Director Katy Cocks, Choreographer Jessica Clifford plus an efficient stage crew and fabulous costume, lighting, sound and set designers, all did a really great job. 

Sarah Smith’s production did full justice to an excellent script.  This was a pantomime at it's traditional best and provided a really great fun evening.  Listening to those leaving the auditorium I wasn’t the only one with that opinion.  Well done everyone involved.

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