Aladdin : a genie-us Norfolk Adventure
A 'right bootful' Christmas treat.
Norwich Theatre
The tree is up, the shops are full of tempting presents, and children of all ages are getting restless with anticipation as the advent calendars count down towards Christmas Day. And.. it is pantomime time! Oh yes it is!
Norwich Theatre Royal has always maintained a proud and deserved reputation for putting on a sparkling, star-studded and spectacular pantomime, and this year is no exception. And even though the stalwart of Norwich pantomime, the wonderful Richard Gauntlett, is otherwise engaged this year on the UK tour of Elf The Musical, he still managed to find the time to write the hilarious script for this year's production of 'Aladdin'.
Described as “a genie-us Norfolk adventure”, this year's show is set in the town of Norwich-On-The-Verge, where Widow Molly Piecrust (played by Owen Evans) bakes a mean meat pie, aided by her two sons, Aladdin Piecrust (Tarik Frimpong) and Reg Piecrust (Joe Tracini). A magic lamp that lies buried deep beneath the city, at nearby Grim Wood, brings evil Professor Beatrix Bottomburgh (Lisa Maxwell) to Norwich, together with her niece Jazz (Meesha Turner). Jazz meets Aladdin, and the Professor hatches an evil plot to use him to find and retrieve the lamp.
Lisa Maxwell maybe best remembered for her seven years as Samantha Nixon in television's 'The Bill', and for her time as a regular panellist on 'Loose Women'. As Professor Beatrix Bottomburgh, she is clearly loving the opportunity to play the baddie, even if she remains looking absolutely fabulous whilst doing it.
Joe Tracini is a familiar and much-loved figure to Norwich audiences, having been involved with the Theatre Royal pantomime for the last five years. His seemingly endless energy levels, and his instinctive comedy timing, provides a powerful pantomime package that keeps the audience in the palm of his hand.
Owen Evans may be new to pantomime, but he is no stranger to Norwich audiences. As one half of Norfolk comedy institution The Nimmo Twins he has performed many a sold out night in Norwich over the past twenty years, and I also remember him appearing as Bottom in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' at Norwich Theatre Royal back in 2015, a night when even the RSC performers struggled to hide their laughter whilst he completely stole the show. Now, clean-shaven for his pantomime debut as Widow Molly Piecrust, he once again is a scene-stealer, his Norfolk accent elevating his pantomime dame to a level 'wot it hint rarely bin to before'.
Tariq Frimpong brings a wealth of talent and experience to the leading role of Aladdin, and his good looks, together with his singing and his dance moves, are exactly what the show requires to bring a splash of West End pizzazz to the Theatre Royal, and to really impress the audience. And as he and Meesha Turner, as Jazz, embark together on their spectacular magic carpet ride together, the show assumes almost epic proportion.
Local hero Delia Smith gets in on the act, with her pre-recorded message as 'The Voice of The Great Spirit of Norwich'. Chris Cuming's direction is spot-on, as is Amy Lawrence's choreography and James Beal's musical direction. Kirsteen Wythe's costumes burst forth with colours, and Kyle Fuller's lighting shines forth in all the right places. For a story supposedly set in Norwich, the set design possibly misses a trick with its mostly generic buildings, and absence of any real local landmarks. In fact, there is a general dearth of references to the fine city in which the story is supposedly set. A trick missed, in my humble opinion.
But not let us forget the most important part of any pantomime show, which is the audience. And on the night that I attended it was the impassioned boos and cheers of the children of all ages, the crazy sing-a-longs, the slapstick comedy routines, and all those essential 'behind you' moments that created the real magic, and the collective emotion from the audience that really gets to me, as it does each and every year at Norwich Theatre Royal when I attend their pantomime.
Tickets seem to be selling fast – many performances are already showing as 'limited availability'. Don’t miss out. Get yourselves and the kids down there. And let’s be ‘avin you!
'Aladdin' runs at Norwich Theatre Royal until January 5th. Book now, and give the kids (and yourselves) a 'right bootful' Christmas treat.
