For the second time this festive season, ALBOS was invited to attend a local pantomime, this time Aladdin at The Mitchell Arts Centre in Stoke.
This was our first time visiting The Mitchell Arts Centre and right off the bat we were impressed by the location and availability of free parking courtesy of a special arrangement with the next door Tesco. The theatre space has a modern feel to it and there’s a handy cafe for refreshments and the all-important theatre snacks!
This year’s production is Aladdin featuring BBC Radio Stoke’s Den Siegertsz as the Emperor and Tim Churchill as Abanazar.
The 317 seater auditorium was at near capacity as the music began and the lighting lit up the stage and we met the evil Abanazar for the first time. Tim’s voice is strong and he silenced the excitable crowd as he sang his opening number and our theatrical journey began.
The hapless Aladdin, played by Liam Burton, moves the story on as he searches for the lamp that Abanazar has recruited him to find. There are some brilliant lines that have the audience, young and old, laughing and hanging on every word until Aladdin summons the Genie and then pulls us back in time to explain the back story of how we ended up at this moment!
The stage set is simple and effective as we’re transported back to Stoke-on-Trent to meet Aladdin’s mum, Widow Twankey fantastically played by Paul Deacon. The large over-the-top costumes, innuendo and laughs come thick and fast from Deacon and we all got involved with some hilarious audience participation.
Whilst back in Stoke-on-Trent we also meet the Emperor played by Den Siegertsz from BBC Radio Stoke who’s making his second pantomime appearance having appeared in Cinderella last year. We also meet the Emperor’s daughter, Princess Jasmine, played by Suzanne Kendall, who gives a heartfelt performance of the sweet princess.
Now you may think you know the tale of Aladdin but do you know about the Genie’s wife and kids? Us neither! This hilarious extension of the story had some of the best bits of the show for us, just how many children can you comfortably fit into a tiny little lamp? Catherine O’Reilly gave a fabulous and powerful performance as the Genie’s wife, we especially loved the song that the Genie and his wife sing together……just brilliant!
We won’t spoil the story for those who haven’t seen it but suffice to say it’s delivered with a good pace that stops the little ones losing interest and we always like shows where the cast pass through the audience!
The closing of Act 1 was a particular highlight as Aladdin and the Genie take to the air on a magic carpet ride. Our children thought this was amazing and loved the singing stars that accompanied them on their journey! Talking about the closing of Act 1 it was brilliant to see that every child ticket for the show includes a free tub of ice cream in the interval, all the children queued up to get their free ice cream which was a lovely touch.
A great production relies on its ensemble cast and Aladdin had this covered with a fantastic supporting cast. Another highlight was the multi-faceted arm-waving song that the audience thoroughly enjoyed, it had our children laughing out loud!
TLC Pantomimes have done a brilliant job with Aladdin at The Mitchell Arts Centre. Grown-ups and children alike will love the show as it has something for both sets of theatre-goer. There’s one thing we must warn all potential theatre-goer and that’s the inclusion of baby-shark into the show……just when you thought that song had disappeared it’s back as an ear-worm that your hyper children will be singing and dancing in the car on the way home! :D
If you’re looking for a festive treat that won’t break the bank then head on over to Stoke to catch Aladdin at The Mitchell Arts Theatre. It’s running through until New Year’s Eve and tickets cost from £10 for children and £15 for adults. Head on over to The Mitchell Arts Centre’s Panto website page for booking details, including how to get discounted group rates – https://mitchellartscentre.co.uk/aladdin
Finally, we’ve got to mention what a magical touch it is for the cast to come out to the Theatre foyer as the audience leaves so that you can get selfies and say hello.
