Hold on to your baubles; Aladdin has flown in (via magical carpet, of course) to Hammersmith’s Lyric Theatre, and with it brought 120 glorious minutes of high-energy panto perfection. Running until 5th Jan 2025.
OUR VERDICT
Set in Shepherd’s Bush Market, this West London spin on the classic tale is the creation of panto powerhouse Sonia Jalalay (writer) and Nicholai La Barrie (director), whose streetwise Aladdin is busy hustling his way through life while working in his mum’s ‘Wishy Washy’ launderette.
Enter Jasmine - the bold, sharp-witted princess who’s bored with life and ready to break free.
When she crosses paths with Aladdin, sparks fly (cue a brilliant rendition of Pulp’s ‘Common People’), but with a meddling mother, evil step-father and a magical genie in tow, can the course of true love run smooth? Of course not - it’s panto!
The multi-talented Andre Antonio shines as the loveable Aladdin, who dances, sings and raps his way through the show with unfaltering cheeky-chappy energy. Aleyna Mohanraj’s sweet and sassy Jasmine is also very likeable. Her rendition of Olivia Rodrigo’s 'Vampire' is particularly moving, and she manages to hold her own despite the chaos unfolding behind her.
Responsible for banishing Aladdin into the story’s famous cave hidden “in the middle of Lidl” to find the magic ‘laaaaaaaarrmp’, Andrew Pepper is terrific as Jasmine’s terribly posh and fabulously evil stepfather, Abanazaar. Shaina Twain-obsessed, he sings and dances his way around the family estate (named ‘Salt Bum’, of course) and is a perfectly over-the-top villain.
Jodie Jacobs is the genie that all of us dream of. Warm, witty, and extraordinarily talented, she steals the show, particularly with her brilliant Björk intro and hilarious moments of fervent affection for Window Twerkey…
Speaking of which, the highlight of the Lyric panto is and always will be my annual fix of Emmanuel Akwafo, who returns to Hammersmith for his third fa-bulous year. Between his mid-show understudy auditions and furious desire for the line-dancing trophy, his twerking and twirling, singing and sassy sashaying delivers captivating charisma in bucketloads.
Every moment he is on stage sends the audience (myself included) into a cheering frenzy. Days later, the slapstick genius of watching him trying to save the genie from behind an electric fence still makes me laugh.
Despite being a panto, there’s not much slushy sentimentality; in fact, I could have done with a bit more.
The ‘love is all around’ moments, which top and tail the show, feel a bit rushed and performative. But who needs soppiness when there are dance battles, ‘brat’ moments, a genuinely impressive flying carpet, and gags galore? It’s considerably lighter on the political guffaws this year, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
An excellent ensemble delivers impressive choreography and energetic support - I particularly enjoyed Franciso Gomes’ excellent Cardi B impression. The live band are terrific – almost too terrific that, at times, some of the songs’ gag-filled lyrics get a bit lost in the volume.
Colin Bukeridge’s music is integral to the brilliance of this show, which is packed with familiar tunes—from Bruno Mars to Beyonce—that will delight all. The design team—known as Good Teeth—has also excelled themselves. Their ingeniously OTT costumes are a sensation.
This intricate Aladdin ticks all the traditional panto boxes (‘it’s behind you’ and the now iconic ‘Glory, Glory Hammersmith’, etc) before soaring off into the realms of cool and clever, sassy and silly, elevating this production from a bit of festive fun to a hilarious, high-flying adventure packed with magic, mayhem, and pure, unadulterated joy. Don’t miss it.
Until Saturday 05 January 2024. Tickets from £10, ages 6+
Lyric Hammersmith
Lyric Square, King Street, City of London, W6 0QL
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