Writer: Paul Hendy
Director: Juliet Forster
It was the turn of Aladdin to be given the mostly traditional, occasionally surreal panto treatment by York Theatre Royal’s creative director Juliet Forster and script writer Paul Hendy. As such, it has now become the most recent in a long line of (as we are told in the show more than once) ‘legendary’ York Theatre Royal pantomimes.
This is actually the fifth panto since this highly successful team took over and it does well to mix the familiarity of recognisable scenes and routines with topical jokes and slightly mad new creative directions. The ghost bench song routine for example, has adults and children alike singing, ‘Well, we’ll have to sing it again then, won’t we? Woo!’ as apparently they have done since 1987 (or so Dame Dolly says). At the other end of the scale we had blinged up three wheeler mobility scooters and large elephants parading onto the stage – the budget has clearly been well spent on props and costumes.
The show starts promisingly with the introduction of the aptly named Ivan Tobebooed, a baddie played by Paul Hawkyard. Now in his third panto season at York, he slips hilariously in and out of his character accent, mixing it with his West Yorkshire twang, (on purpose of course) and has the audience laughing and booing in equal measure.
We are quickly introduced to all of the other main characters and the obligatory song and dance routines happen pleasingly enough. Usually six ensemble members fill the stage well, but it looked a little too spacious for them at times. Perhaps this was due to the doubling up of the excellent Rowan Armitt-Brewster who delighted everyone as jobsworth, fun-squashing PC World, and then had to jump back into the ensemble to sing and dance his heart out. His dual role meant he was also unavailable as a character in the ghost bench routine, which was a shame, the cast would really would have benefitted from another separate ensemble member and PC World being given even more of a role.
Sario Solomon bounces and bounds around the stage, full of energy and ‘rizz’ (or charisma if you are over 21) as Aladdin and is instantly likeable. His Aladdin pairs well with Emily Tang’s Jasmine, and they are soon falling in love through a pastiche of snippets from well-known songs, bearing similarities to the love scene Moulin Rouge.
The first half is enjoyable, but the second half is where the show really comes alive. Robin Simpson, in his fifth appearance as Dame at YTR is ridiculous and brilliant throughout, with his mixture of ‘devil may care’ attitude and the sense that he is doling out the fun in ladles to everyone around him, cast, crew, audience – no one is left out. Definitely not the unsuspecting Adam in the front row for this performance, who became the star of the show and the butt of many jokes in a way that York Theatre Royal does particularly well.
Other highlights – a brilliantly choreographed jukebox-type song routine with buttons and a magic carpet that flew up and out into the audience, with Aladdin on board, spinning him 360 degrees more than once!
Evie Pickerill, CBeebies presenter is the Spirit of the Ring (and possibly of another gold trinket, but you will have to watch the show to find out) and she is a real professional. Lively and bubbly, she sings and dances very well, which might be unusual for a TV personality except for the fact she trained at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, so this was not entirely unexpected.
The show ends as it should, full of glitter and sequins, sparkles and dancing, with live music from the Musical Director Uncle Eddie (Ed Gray) and his team. We are told in the final throes of the final scene that next year’s panto is Sleeping Beauty – if it is anything like this one, then tickets for it will be worth a good bet.
Runs until 5th January 2025
