Aladdin - The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto

Confession time.

I don’t like pantos.

Well, I didn’t think I did.

Until tonight, when I saw Aladdin - The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto at City Varieties, and it kinda blew my mind.

I should back up a little and explain. We took our kids to panto when they were little, won’t say which one, but like many families it became a tradition, every year, and every year I grew to hate it a little bit more.

It wasn’t the show, or the performers. It was just one element - the constant innuendo.

Don’t get me wrong, I grew up on Carry On movies, I have a box set somewhere, so it isn’t the innuendo per se, it was the delivery, leery/lairy, misogynistic, and always seemed tonally inappropriate to an audience of pre-teens.

So we stopped going and took in other seasonal fayre.

Fast forward a few years and I’m lucky enough to be reviewing shows for the newsletter, and panto is hard to avoid this time of year, so in for a penny…

I’m glad I gave it another go!

Aladdin - The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto has re-located the story to Leeds Market (primarily), features our hero ‘A Lad in Leeds’, so not your typical setup for Aladdin… but more or less the same story beats. In addition to Aladdin we have a princess - Princess Peachblossom, our dame - Tallulah Tightbottom, our baddie - Abanazer, our genie - er, Genie, our buttons - Tommy the Tyke and the usual assortment of ensemble cast.

What we also have, and what makes it Rock ‘n’ Roll, is that most of the performers also play instruments live on stage. The energy is incredible and the pace unrelenting due to this unusual element, everything seems hyper live.

Of course you get the usual panto schtick, a ton of audience participation, water pistols, balloons, audience shout outs and a poor soul in the front row that got a lot of attention from our Dame.

The cast are all great but special mention to our Aladdin, Harry F Brown, and our Dame Simon Nock. Harry is cheeky chappie charming personified, with a star sparkle and a great connection to the audience. Simon is what made it for me and has made me love panto again.

I said earlier that leary innuendo in front of kids spoilt panto for me for years, but Simon manages to deliver a steady stream of innuendo, audience constantly in stitches, somehow without that uncomfortable leer. It’s incredible!

In fact the whole show was incredible and I loved it!

I will be back next year.

Oh no he won’t.

Oh yes I will!

Cast

• Harry F Brown - Alvin / Aladdin

• Laura Andresen - Princess Peachblossom

• Simon Nock - Dame Tallulah Tightbottom / Widow T

• Kenny Davies - Abanazer

• Guy Freeman - Tommy the Tyke

• Lucy Wells - Genie

• Dan Carter - Hope The Emperor

• Maddie Hansen - Muddles

• Max Bower - Hans the Dishwasher

• Damien James - The Storyteller / Hans the Potwasher

• Tom Benjamin - Gervase / Onstage MD

Creatives

• Peter Rowe - Writer

• Ian Sime - General Manager and Producer

• Rob Salmon - Director

• Rebekah Hughes - Musical Director

• Dawn Allsopp - Set and Costume Designer

• Sam Spencer Lane - Choreographer

• Kieran Ragan - Sound Designer and Operator

• Sean Webster - Lighting Designer

• Debbie O’Brien - Casting Director

• Mark Waters - Production Manager

• Martin Smith - Production Carpenter

• Joe Howarth - Production LX

• Garry Barnes - Company Stage Manager

• Joni Franieczek - Deputy Stage Manager

• Jade Fearnley - Assistant Stage Manager and Book Cover

• Tyler Kellett - Assistant Stage Manager

• Megan Murphy - LX Programmer and Operator

• Kieran Ragan and Jesse Cloke - Sound Operators

• Holly Russell and Phoebe Culpan - Follow Spot Operators

• Jai Connor - Fly Operator and Show Carpenter

• Kate Rossiter - Head of Wardrobe

• April Rollinson - Wardrobe Supervisor

• Eliza Palumbo - Dresser

• Lesley Woolford - Tailor

• Elizabeth Incoll, Rachel Hodgson and Gabby Hopwood - Costume Makers

• Fran Webber - Costume Assistant and Wig Maker

• Anna Kesteven and Sarah Barry - Cosprop Makers

• Dawn Allsopp - Puppet Maker

• Karl Graham - Prop Maker

• Keren Seabrook - Sign Interpreter

• Alice Gilmour - Caption Interpreter