Aladdin Pantomime at Malvern Theatres: Review
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Malvern Theatres in Worcestershire hosts some incredible shows throughout the year. However, the pantomime is always a highlight. This year Aladdin, Wishee Washee, Widow Twankey and evil Abanaza take to the stage to captivate audiences with their comedy, singing, dancing and all-round entertainment. As always, it’s a real family performance. There’s plenty to get the children on their feet dancing and a few laughs thrown in for the adults too.
Aladdin: The performance
The audience let out a collective gasp as evil Abanaza appeared on stage. His story of the magic lamp introduced us to the powerful genie. Abanaza wanted the lamp but only one person could take it from the cave where it was hidden. Aladdin. Just when it all started to get a bit frightening, Wishee Washee was on hand to lighten the mood.
During the first half, Widow Twankey and her sons Aladdin and Wishee Washee entertained us with their antics. PC Pong arrived in his invisible car to make sure nobody looked Princess Jasmine in the eye. The audience were clapping along to familiar songs as the cast went on their adventures.
Aladdin found the lamp and transformed into Prince Ali. The children’s favourite part was when Wishee Washee and PC Pong tried to help Widow Twankey by doing some washing, with hilarious results. Evil Abanaza soon turned up again to ruin the beautiful palace Prince Ali had created and the cast set off to rescue Jasmine from Abanaza. Classic panto lines, ghostbusters and of course the all-important happy ending ensured an enjoyable evening all round.
The cast of Aladdin at Malvern Theatres
The legendary John Challis from Only Fools and Horses stars in this year’s pantomime as evil Abanazar. My favourite part of the show was when he was banished to a life as the new genie of the lamp and instantly became Boycie from Only Fools and Horses. He even mentioned a three wheeled van he was selling.
Mark James returns to Malvern again, this time playing loveable Wishee Washee. Jamie Steen is Widow Twankey, Aaron Jenson is Aladdin and Danny Rogers is bumbling PC Pong. The sparkly spirit of the ring is played by Loula Geater, while Jacob Morris plays the Genie. Joely Barbouras is Princess Jasmine and Gary Davis is the Emperor.
The whole cast seemed to be having a great time on stage. There were plenty of laughs and they made sure the audience participated. There’s something comforting about Mark James’ annual call of, “Where’s me mates?” It’s the first sign that Christmas has arrived in Malvern.
What you need to know about Aladdin pantomime at Malvern Theatres
- How long does the show last? The panto started at 7pm and finished just before 10pm. It was a quite a late night for young children so if there’s something important going on at school, I’d suggest aiming for a weekend or school holidays performance with little ones.
- What dates is Aladdin on at Malvern Theatres? FromThursday 12th December 2019 to Sunday 5th January 2020.
- Where can I buy tickets? For more information and to buy tickets, head to the Malvern Theatres website.
- What age children is Aladdin at Malvern Theatres suitable for? I’ve been taking the girls to see the pantomime at Malvern every year since they were babies. There are always much older children and teens there too. I’d recommend taking children of any age to the pantomime as long as they are captivated by music and dancing. It is a long time to sit still though, so it very much depends on the individual.
- What is the 2020-2021 pantomime at Malvern Theatres and when do tickets go on sale? Next year, the panto at Malvern is Peter Pan. Mark James will be back again and tickets are on sale now.
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