Christmas is in the air; the pantomime season is finally among us. Aladdin has taken a carpet ride into Wolverhampton this December to bring laughter and cheer this festive season.
photography credit: Alex Styles
This pantomime features a stellar cast as West End leading lady Zoe Birkett (Moulin Rouge The Musical/The Bodyguard) plays Spirit of the Ring, Michael Greco (EastEnders/The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) is the evil Abanazar and CBeebies’ Ben Cajee takes on the role of Aladdin in the ultimate pantomime adventure for all the family! Alongside them are returning favourites Tam Ryan (Wishee Washee) and Ian Adams (Widow Twankey) joined by Wolverhampton’s own Sofie Anné as Princess Jasmine, West End star Duane Gooden as the Genie and panto legend Ian Billings as The Notary!
Of course, as any panto does, this one came with classic archetypes and tropes of the evil villain, the pantomime dame. There was also plenty of audience participation and as I sat back and watched I could see so many young children mesmerised and in awe of all the fantastical magic occurring onstage.
At the core of this pantomime, the themes are very important, especially for young children, as Aladdin teaches the audience to be themselves and that you should not feel the need to change for anyone, and that being who you are is more than enough. It was wonderful to see so many young children with their families in the audience tonight as we are all aware these are difficult times financially, so it feels encouraging that many were watching the show.
A huge well done must be extended to the ensemble cast who were one of the most talented groups I've watched recently. The performances were slick and confident and well-rehearsed with some impressive tricks. They all had their moment to shine individually as well as a whole group. Choreographer Racky Plews has created some terrific dance sequences that were very original and covered a wide range of dance genres.
Zoe Birkett as Spirit of the Ring shone, and her on-stage presence and vocals were flawless. Tam Ryan as Wishee Washee had brilliant comedic timing, with current jokes both for adults and kids alike. The entire cast were an absolute joy to watch. I thoroughly enjoyed the pantomime and it put me in the Christmas spirit. Pantomimes can entertain you, open your eyes to magic and adventure and share important messages. Aladdin was successful in achieving all three, I loved it!
photography credit: Alex Styles
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