Aladdin at West Yorkshire Playhouse
I have to admit I’m not a fan of pantomime. The cliches, the endless repetition of the same jokes. Maybe it’s prejudice - I know that like all art forms, when done well it can be brilliant - but to be honest most of the time I find pantomime about as interesting as buying office supplies uk online. Functional, sometimes even important, but not exactly riveting.
So I wasn’t expecting much from Gail Macintyre’s production of Mike Kenny’s adaptation of Aladdin at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. How wrong I was.
Firstly, it’s important to point out that this Aladdin isn’t a pantomime. Indeed, as the Yorkshire Post says, Macintyre and Kenny almost revel in their Christmas shows being described as “the antidote to pantomime”. This retelling of the well loved tale is set in Leeds’own Kirkgate Market, a couple of stones’throws away from the Playhouse, and has its market sellers take on the roles of the young, slightly dim hero, the spoiled princess, the long suffering mother, the evil “uncle”and of course the mischevious Genie. It’s full of theatrical inventiveness - there’s a wonderful moment when a puppet Aladdin abseils into the cave, only to be followed by a brilliant rope trick from the real live actor, Gregory Bartlett - fun, and some outrageously catchy songs. There’s also for some reason a running gag about satsumas, and an opportunity to wave flags and celebrate the royal wedding.
This is a show that will delight both young children and their parents. The kids will love the storytelling, song and spectacle, while grown ups can revel in what is perhaps this production’s greatest success - it makes you feel like a child again, or at least it did for this writer. A transcendentally entertaining experience!
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