WITH just a few days to go before Christmas the air of excitement from the near capacity audience who have come along to see the Assembly Hall Theatre’s festive offering, Aladdin, is quite palpable.
Excited children sit with parents, carers and grandparents to experience the wonder and magic that is pantomime and, of course, we start with the battle of good against evil.
On the vast Tunbridge Wells stage, from a cloud of haze, appears, in a modern twist, The Siri of the Ring. Played by Julie Yammanee, and in the monotone voice that we have come to expect from Siri, she brings the audience up to speed with the “back story”, only to be rudely interrupted by the baddie of the tale.
A huge jet of flame fires up from the stage to herald the arrival of Abanazar (Strictly winner, Ore Oduba), who shares his plans of world domination with an audience already booing loudly. Oduba is obviously enjoying himself immensely in the role, and he works the audience up very well indeed.
In the Market Square of La La Land we meet many of the key characters in the story including Aladdin, his brother Frankie Twankey and their mother, the Widow Twankey. The Czah (Dan Burton) and Princess Amirah (Sophie Naglik) are both suitably regal, although, as a strong independent woman, the Princess is furious that she is expected to marry “someone suitable” within a year.
All in dazzling costumes, with colourful lighting and music played live by the in-house band, the huge junior and senior ensemble members sing and dance both enthusiastically and energetically. The song choices throughout the production are quite modern which, at times, alienates some of the older audience members but, with some tough choreography by Myles Brown, the stage is always very busy with some huge dance numbers.
Stewart McCheyne returns to Tunbridge Wells, for the third year in a row, to take on the challenge of getting the children, and even reluctant grown-ups, to join his gang. In no time at all the required greeting, every time he appears on stage, is rehearsed and approved, before he has a quick chat with his pet monkey, Marmaduke (Anna Greenwell).
Larger than life pantomime Dame, James Peake, also makes his third appearance at the Assembly Hall Theatre, and dazzles throughout, in an array of costumes that range from the almost sublime to the very ridiculous. After we have been through that nerve-wracking scene where she decides which of the gents sitting at the front of the auditorium will become her “new boyfriend, we discover that, instead of running the more usual laundry, in this version Widow Twankey runs a, not very successful, pottery.
The tale follows the traditional pattern and, by the end of act one, we find ourselves in the Cave of Wonders looking for a rusty old lamp. Having found said lamp, and followed the instruction to rub it, The Genie of the Lamp (also played by Julie Yammanee) makes a very dramatic entrance. Looking, and sounding, like Cher she delivers some great comic lines, but also gets a couple of chances to show off her crystal-clear, and serious powerful, voice.
Special mention also goes to the incredibly hard-working dancers of the Senior Ensemble, Anna Greenwell, Lucy Surgeon, Madeleine Doody, Max McIlvenny, Drew Evans and (making his professional debut) Eli O’Donoghue, who work through complex routines on stage and, at times, in the auditorium itself.
Every pantomime should have a “wow moment” and, in this show there is no doubt that the honour of that title goes to a very spectacular “Magic Carpet Scene”. On board, for a Fight of Fantasy, is Aladdin (Zachary Pang), who twists and turns high above the stage, and gets to perform some very daredevil stunts more usually associated with the scariest of roller-coasters. The audience falls silent, apart for the occasional “wow”, as Aladdin heads off to rescue the Princess and live happily ever after.
There is no doubt that Little Wolf Productions work very hard to give the Tunbridge Wells audience a treat, and the enthusiastic reaction as the curtain falls indicates that their efforts have been well received. Offering everything that a traditional pantomime should, Aladdin is definitely flying high.
**** Four Stars
