Spring can be so inconsistent. One minute it’s sunshine the next is gloomy skies and April showers. However, we all know that even on the darkest of days there’s nothing like a Disney Classic to lift the mood so
what could be a better way to spend a rainy Saturday in London’s West End than by escaping to the mystical, magical east and the fairytale world of Aladdin, Princess Jasmine, Genie and Friends at the Prince Edward Theatre writes Jonathan Fraser.
Following on from other Disney stage successes, such as the unmissable The Lion King, Aladdin follows its film source faithfully but adds a distinct dollop of pantomime panache to the well-loved tale. Any director will know that if there’s one thing you don’t do its mess with people’s
favourite Disney movie so film fans are sure to settle back and slip straight into Casey Nicholaw’s version as if it was the comfiest pair of Arabian slippers – curly toes included!
Those slippers will soon be tapping a beat as we go from curtain drop to song and dance number in seconds although you do have to wait a while for the any big showstopping tunes. The score may not be well known
or, to be honest, really that memorable until your get to the big hitters from the movie such as A Whole New World and Friend Like Me. That said, the whirl of shimmering costumes on stage and some slick choreography entertain until the star and heart of the show, the sickeningly sassy Genie, played expertly by Trevor Dion Nicholas, is released from his lamp and fills the stage and brings the show to life.
It’s at this moment that the show really comes alive. The sets get grander in scale and the story becomes much more involving. It’s sure to keep children as entertained as any panto but aside from a couple of standout
scenes there’s little for fans of musical theatre to sink their teeth into. Still if you are a huge Disney fan, have small people to keep entertained, or if you merely have a fascination with flying carpets then you’ll find some fun here.