Aladdin by Imagine Theatre
Reviewed 30th December 2022
5/5
If you are looking for a panto full of energy, then Aladdin at the Lyceum Theatre in Crewe could be just the ticket. Written by panto stalwart Eric Potts, this Aladdin is set in Chinatown in Crewe, and is filled with a good mix of topical gags as well as tried and tested routines.
Taking the lead role, and making his pantomime debut, is Thomas A. Chan. Thomas brings the right amount of cheeky charm to the role, and is nicely paired with Kiera-Nicole, who the younger kids will recognise from Channel 5’s Milkshake, as Princess Jasmine.
Louis Spence puts in a suitably camp performance as the Genie of the Ring, which gives rise to many of the adult jokes. Oh, and he was in Cat’s too! The big tap number shows he can still hold his own when it comes to dance.
One big surprise was Jamie Kenna (Phill Whittaker in Coronation Street), who plays for boos as the evil Abanazar. As well as spending much of the show having to play against the super active Louis Spence, he gives it his all in an amazing rock number, just a shame his guitar playing was drowned out by the rest of the band.
Returning for his sixth season at Crewe, Malcolm Lord shows how it should be done in the role of Widow Twankey. It is easy to see why he keeps getting asked back, his comic timing is spot on.
At the performance we saw, a special mention must go to Ste Johnston as Wishee Twankey. During the audience number, he was met with a young child who refused to speak once on stage, no matter how hard Ste worked, and boy did he work! Of course, the result was hilarious for the audience.
The whole show was full of energy, and the magic carpet scene with Aladdin flying out past the proscenium arch was magical and drew gasps from the audience, both young and old.
The only let down was the interior cave scene, which was lacking in any real sparkle and jewels, at lease from a scenery point of view.
Despite that we would definitely recommend you pop and see the show if you get chance.
Aladdin is at the Crewe Lyceum until 8th January 2023.
www.crewelyceum.co.uk