Aladdin - Phoenix Theatre Productions

Albany Theatre Coventry
Until Sunday 5th January 2020
 
This is Phoenix Theatre Productions first pantomime, if the audience reaction and quality of this performance is anything to go by, it won’t be their last.

Aladdin is a traditional pantomime, it has everything in it, the audience participation, slap stick, good versus evil and a good mix of jokes for the children and the adults. The costumes and sets are colourful and are brought to life by an enthusiastic cast, a cast that has many years of stage experience between them, and this shows.

There are no surprises in the story, Abanazer wants everything, Aladdin and his brother and mum work in a laundry, Aladdin loves the Princess but is too poor to marry her until he visits a cave.

Harry Laidlaw takes the title role in his first pantomime. He is every inch the cheeky chappy, he has the audience in the palm of his hand. Another stand out performance is Steve Cowley as Abanazer, sinisterly evil and beautifully overacted, he is a joy to boo. Rachel McDonnell is a beautiful princess Jasmine with a beautiful voice to match. The ladies of the audience appreciated the Genie, Leon Carty, its just a shame that his character wasn’t used more.

The young dancers were a delight to watch, their performances were polished and full of energy.
The overall production values in this pantomime are high. The lighting enhances each scene and there are none of the sound issues that can occur at this venue. There was even a flying carpet. This panto could hold its own against some of the professional productions.

This is a perfect post-Christmas treat for all the family. With only one performance left on Sunday, rush to get a ticket!

Annette Nuttall