Review: ALADDIN, Wolverhampton Grand
Photo credit: Alex Styles
The stage of the gorgeous Wolverhampton Grand Theatre has once again been transformed into Pantoland, this year giving audiences in the West Midlands a rendition of Aladdin, written and directed by Will Brenton.
Brenton’s script has a wonderful mixture of classic panto puns and topical humour to get audience members of all ages laughing, especially when delivered by beloved returning Wolverhampton Grand pantomime cast members Ian Adams as Dame Dot Twankey and Tam Ryan as Wishee Washee. Both Adams and Ryan maintain a great energy and connection with the audience throughout the whole show and the only scenes that top the level of comedy of their individual performances are the scenes in which the pair share the spotlight together.
Playing the titular role of Aladdin is popular CBeebies presenter Ben Cajee, who brings a lovable “boy-next-door” feel to the character. Starring alongside Cajee as the confident Jasmine is professional singer and local talent Sofie Anné, and together the two of them bring the sweet blossoming romance of Aladdin and Jasmine to life onstage. Another standout performer is Zoe Birkett as the Spirit of the Ring whose powerhouse vocals take the production to another level and she sets the bar high in the opening number. The show consists of a selection of songs from both pop and musical theatre genres as well as ‘The Wolverhampton Song’ to form a fantastically musically varied show. The Aladdin ensemble are always there to support the principal cast onstage with backing vocals and energetic performances of Racky Plews’ choreography.
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre’s associates at Evolution Productions have provided costume design that combines the traditional pantomime style with a more contemporary look to create a more modern style for the cast and ensemble’s costumes whilst still staying true to the much loved classically outrageous pantomime fashion. Set design for the show sticks to the classic, colourful and glittering style audiences know and love and there is also use of projection and pyrotechnics to heighten the magical effects. There are some moments when the flow of the show’s magic is interrupted through multiple blackouts in order to change scenery, so all the show needs are some seamless transitions to give it the tiny boost it needs to be a flawless five star show!
Aladdin is a genuinely funny and fabulous production that not only showcases some wondrously talented performers, but also combines modern panto with the most loved features of traditional pantomimes. If we had three wishes from a genie this December, we’d ask for more tickets to this splendid pantomime!
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Jess Dalloway
Aladdin plays at Wolverhampton Grand until 7 January 2023, with tickets available here.