Aladdin

The tale itself is very traditional and this panto sticks pretty much to it and why not it’s a good story, but what makes it special are the development of the characters within the plot, the snappy banter between them and the comic situations that arise. We have Widow Twankey and her other son Wishee trying to run a laundry and a washing line that just will not behave. All the while Aladdin is being pursued by the Peking police for stealing an orange whilst he is also pursuing Princess Jasmine who he has fallen madly in love with after seeing her in Scrubbers Yard. This is all punctuated by the occasional commentary from Aladdin’s parrot, Lola. Then we have Abanazar trying to locate the fabled magic lamp only to be told by a spirit that he needs the help of Aladdin. Aladdin is cornered by the Peking police after sneaking into Jasmine’s garden and is captured not because he dared look on the princess but because he stole an orange and so is put in prison to face the consequences. This of course is not very helpful to Abanazar, so he, unbeknown to Aladdin, uses his wizardry to get Aladdin out. Later, Abanazar turns up at the laundry and declares he is Aladdin’s long-lost uncle and is now very rich. After much confusion over names and Abanazar’s exact wealth, he enlists Aladdin’s help to get the magic lamp. This of course goes wrong and Aladdin ends up imprisoned in the cave unsure of how he is going to escape. The Genie of the Ring appears and helps Aladdin escape along with the old lamp that remained in his clutches. Aladdin doesn’t realise what he has until the lamp is cleaned and then poof, the Genie of the Lamp appears. Long story short, Aladdin becomes very very rich and seeks the hand of Jasmine for his wife and the Sultan (Jasmine’s father), who is not as rich as he seems, is quite happy for Aladdin to marry her once he has seen the size of Aladdin’s palace. All is well in the Prince Aladdin household until one day Jasmine decides to trade the old lamp for a new one. Abanazar, the evil wizard disguises himself as a lamp seller and tricks Jasmine into parting with the old lamp and using the Genie of the Lamp whisks the palace and all its occupants to the other side of the world. Aladdin comes home and can’t find his palace anywhere. Convinced his mother has had a hand in its disappearance he goes to see Widow Twankey to see if she has done something to it. The Genie of the Ring again comes to his aid. The genie tells Aladdin where the palace is and although can’t transport the palace back (he is not made for heavy lifting) transports Aladdin, Wishee and Widow Twankey to the palace. There they trick Abanazar into using up all his wishes from the Genie of the Lamp on frivolous things. However, Abanazar isn’t too bothered. He is over the other side of the world, in a very big palace, full of riches, so he threatens to destroy the lamp. Again, they enlist the Genie of the Ring’s help to make the lamp too hot to handle. Abanazar can’t hold onto it and eventually throws it into the air to be caught by Aladdin who then has another three wishes. He banishes Abanazar, and then they all return to his palace home on a magic carpet.