Reviewed by Jan Dixon
I had the great pleasure of reviewing the Aladdin Pantomime at Ferneham Hall, Fareham on Wednesday 12th December 2017. I took four of my grandchildren (ages 8 years and 9 years) to see the Christmas pantomime, who thoroughly enjoyed the performance; indeed their excitement was palpable and made the evening such a special occasion.
Aladdin was produced by Jordan Productions, who retold the story of the well-known classic fairytale. The colourful set to the production was provided by Imagine Theatre Ltd which certainly enhanced the storytelling; adding a brilliant backdrop to the different scenes portraying the storyline. The lighting and special effects were excellent; we were especially enthralled by the cave scenes and the magic carpet! Congratulations should also go to the Musical Director (Ellen Campbell), Choreographer (James Bennett), Lighting Designer (Declan Randall) and Dance School Principal (Marie Clarke) and of the course the Band (Ellen Campbell, Matt Hobson and James Gale).
The story was about Aladdin, who lived in China with his mother, Widow Twankey and his brother Wishee Washee. They were all poor, working in a laundry in Peking. Aladdin was met by the evil Abanazaar, who tricked him into retrieving a magical lamp from a cave. However, Aladdin refused to hand over the lamp, so was sealed in the cave by Abanazaar. Luckily, he remembered the magic ring he was given, which he rubbed to release the Genie of the Ring, who enabled him to escape from the cave with the lamp. Aladdin then discovered that the lamp had magical powers by rubbing it and releasing the Genie of the Lamp, who granted him wishes. As Aladdin was in love with the Emperor’s daughter, Princess So-Shi, he wanted the Emperor to allow him to marry his daughter by endowing him with riches. The Genie granted his wishes and all seemed well. However, Abanazaar tricked Princess So-Shi into giving him the magical lamp in exchange for a new shiny lamp; thereby ensuring the magical powers were given to him instead. Abanazaar’s evil use of this power caused disruption, necessitating the need for the hapless other characters to thwart his plans to harm the Princess. Luckily Aladdin summoned the Genie of the Ring, who enabled the magical lamp to be returned to Aladdin; ensuring the Genie of the Lamp was happily answerable to his wishes once again. Aladdin married his Princess, with the Emperor’s blessing; even his mother, Widow Twankey managed to ensnare Abanazaar in a ‘love match’!
The cast were all superb, obviously relishing the roles that they portrayed. They all seemed so happy in the company of each other, which enhanced the family atmosphere of the show. Aladdin (Danielle Haywood) and Wishee Washee (Christian Lee); both developed catch phrases at the beginning to encourage the audience to take part in a very interactive production. Christian Lee also made good use of his comedy magician talent, to engage with all ages in the audience. Inflating a giant balloon to then wear on his head also made him a hit with the children in the audience especially. Abanazaar (Clive Mantle) seemed to very much relish the ‘baddie role’, with the audience quickly booing and hissing at him every time he came on stage. In contrast, Widow Twankey (Mark Siney) played the over-the-top bizarrely dressed epitome of a Dame in classic pantomimes. The costumes were clashing and imaginative, eliciting howls of laughter from the audience. The Emperor of Peking (Matt Davitt) was very good at ‘asides’ to the audience, especially appealing to the older members. He also demonstrated a very good singing voice in his role. Princess So-Shi (Divine Cresswell), the Genie of the Ring (Karis Anderson) and Aladdin (Danielle Heywood) sang beautifully in their respective/collaborative songs. However, my grandchildren especially thought the Genie of the Lamp (Jason Denton) was marvellous; for his colourful costumes, singing and dance moves. Finally, the dancers who performed were amazing; so professional and competent, an enhancement to the show.
An excellent show; thoroughly recommended, with a 5-star rating. This was certainly a pantomime performance that left everyone with a ‘feel good’ factor; my grandchildren were so enthralled and excited with the show. I have been asked to take them to see the Ferneham Hall pantomime in 2018! Many sincere thanks to the Ferneham Hall staff and crew, who were so welcoming and polite, a credit to the venue in all ways.
Ferneham Hall is on Osborne Road, behind Fareham Shopping Centre and adjacent to Osborn Road multi-storey carpark. There is also provision for parking immediately outside Ferneham Hall. All parking is free after 6pm. If you are coming by road there is easy access off Junction 11 of the M27; by rail the venue is a 15-minute walk from the railway station.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £13.50 to £19.50 (booking fees may apply).
Aladdin is at the Ferneham Hall in Fareham from 8-31 December 2017, for more information or to book tickets visit www.fernehamhall.co.uk or call the box office on 01329 231942.
Ferneham Hall, Osborn Road, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 7DB | 01329 231942
