Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

I don’t know if it was by accident or design but this production of the popular panto actually had 40 thieves – a leader, two chief thieves and 37 juniors! Iain McKenzie as the storyteller Scheherazade, had a good strong singing voice and clear diction as required of the narrator of the piece. Lisa Stewart and Dawn Gregory made a delightful pairing as Ali Baba and his fiancé Safiya. Martin MacKenzie was delightfully camp as Ali’s mother Babs Baba - the Babs Kebab scene was a hoot! William MacDonald and Roslyn Oliver-Jones as Ali’s hen-pecked brother Cassim and money-grabbing sister-in-law Sharon were another well matched pair. Paco Morera was a blustering Sheikh Mustafa Leikh, leader of the thieves, whose constant threats to cut off the heads of his gang made him definitely boo able.  Jane Milne and Tracy Chatten as his side-kicks Yessah and Nossah were a loveable pair of numpties. John Gunn and Denis Macdonald made Ali’s pet camel Kamil an adorable addition to any scene he appeared in. Strong support was given by Jade Green (Huma), Derek Brown (Fab Rick the Tailor) and John Gunn, John F Kennedy and Denis Macdonald (drag backing singers Loonah, Moonah and Noonah). The large chorus sang and moved, as well as the restricted space on stage would allow, to music ranging from Abba and Queen classics to The Weather Girls “Raining Men”. The first night audience certainly enjoyed themselves as was indicated by the appreciative applause at the walk down. Well done everyone!

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