The Hope Street Theatre is the perfect setting for this year’s Drops Of Light pantomime, Aladdin. The building oozes mystery and itself is an Aladdin’s cave awaiting discovery to reveal its many charms. The magic starts with the welcoming Hope Street Theatre staff guiding the audience through a flimsy curtain into an enchanting theatre-in-the-round with enough original artwork by James Parr on the walls and floor to occupy the smallest of children.
A modern take on an old tale takes pantomime dame and single parent the Widow Twankey played gloriously, by veteran performer Jamie Greer and her two sons, from different fathers, kind-hearted and clever Aladdin played convincingly throughout by the charming Adam McCoy and something of a clown, Welsh Wishee Washee (Liam Dascombe), on a journey from rags to riches where the true riches are love and family. The independent Princess Jazz is clever and beautiful and Tori Hargreaves packs a big singing voice as she takes on the role with ease as we follow her path in finding true love while being true to herself. Greer’s Twankey steers the show with a mesmerising amount of costume changes and some linguistic dexterity as he navigates the puns.
This is a family show that offers pure entertainment in spades. Jessica Lea has once again written the script, following on from last year’s success with Beauty and the Beast. No stranger to local writing as a long-time writer of Hollyoaks, Lea is also a mother of four children and it shows in this full two-hour production that pitches both laughter and action just right. There are enough local references to entertain such as Aladdin of Allerton, and disbanded girl band Atomic Kitten Heels, without crossing into ‘pure Scouse’ and just enough double-entendre to amuse the adults and fly over the heads of the children. The show is packed literally to the rafters with huge songs, snappy dance routines and special effects, all within touching distance of the audience and offers constant surprises. There is a nod to the hottest film of 2018, The Greatest Showman, with a bearded lady and some great full cast musical numbers but if the hard-working cast are the players the ringmaster is Director Sam Donovan who utilises every inch of space to re-imagine the 18th century Arabian tale. Visibility is great as corners become magic entrances to the palace, downtown old Peking, Widow Twankey’s wash-house and a dark cave ‘The Cavern’ in the effective set designed by James Lacey.
An army of creatives and production crew provide the backdrop for the core cast of seven performers supported by an ensemble of ten professionals playing everything from police officers to dancing mummies. The cast is further boosted by a further ten revolving adult ensemble members and thirteen teams of ten well-rehearsed children who sing, dance and perform to the wildly appreciative audience. The children are by no means token and perform big dance routines with smiles that would put a Butlins' Redcoat to shame. Lindsay Inglesby pulls off some great choreography including a dreamy solo dancer performing to ‘One Day I’ll Fly Away’. The cast know how to play to the mixed crowd and the show achieves audience participation without ever being intimidated. There is ample opportunity for ‘he’s behind you’, as well as singing and clapping along. The bearded baddie, she-male Lady Abanazer quickly becomes an audience favourite in part to the outstanding performance by Emma Bispham who takes on the comedy character role in a style a little reminiscent of 1960’s great comedy actor Hilda Baker. The multi-talented Helen Carter wows as Jeanie The Genie in glorious gold costumes, with big hair and an equally big singing voice and Maia Johnson completes the girl band with a suitably sassy (and very silver) Slave of the Ring.
If the already busy schedule could be stretched, it would be good to add some twilight performances for working parents with younger children. Regardless, it’s lovely to see so many happy smiling faces throughout the action-packed performance to the dazzling finale. In all it’s a splendid production that’s entertaining for a first introduction to theatre or for seasoned theatregoers. It’s big, it’s bold and it feels like Christmas.
Reviewer: Barbara Sherlock
on - 5/12/18
No comments:
Post a Comment