Aladdin at the New Theatre Cardiff Review
Aladdin
New Theatre, Cardiff
12 December 2015 to 17 January 2016
Reviewed by Tara Davies
It’s that time of year again… Christmas cheer, festive decorations, bustling shops, fun, love, laughter and, best of all, the great British pantomime, sure to remind you that Christmas is just around the corner. I for one, love this time of year, so was thrilled to be invited to watch Aladdin at the New Theatre in Cardiff, along with my 3 children aged 15, 11 and 9.
The New Theatre is located in the centre of Cardiff, situated within minutes of bus stops, a train station and parking facilities, making it extremely accessible. We were already familiar with the location, however, the venue was clearly signposted, for those visiting for the first time.
We were all very excited, when approaching the theatre, which was beautifully decorated with festive lights. Once inside, we were greeted by a team of helpful staff who were on hand to serve and support customers. The staff were extremely helpful and polite and we were quickly pointed in the direction of our ticket collection point, queues were kept to a minimum. Once we received our tickets we were made to feel at home.
Around 15 minutes before the show we decided to venture to the theatre hall to get settled in before the start of the show. Once again, there were numerous staff on hand taking in tickets and directing customer inside, were further staff were available to guide people to their seats. The theatre was smaller than I expected which was great as you are guaranteed an excellent view wherever you sit! The theatre was implacably clean and seats were spacious and comfortable.
On sitting, we were immediately drawn to the attractive staging, which was to set the scene for the rest of the evening. We were very much looking forward to seeing some of our favourite characters, including Aladdin played by ‘H’ from Steps, Scheherazade (Linda Lusardi) and Princess Jasmine (Holly Bluett), all of which played their characters extremely well. However, my personal favourite was Widow Twankey superbly portrayed by Mike Doyle who literally had us laughing out loud from start to finish, a side splitting performance!! However, the humour didn’t stop there, with The Gennie of the Lamp (Gareth Thomas) and Wishee Washee (Andy Jones) both at their hilarious best… some real comedy gold!! To be fair, I am unable to criticise any of the cast who all played their roles impeccably, right down to the supporting cast. The singing was also amazing and had us tapping our feet throughout.
Overall, I would say a massive well done to all the cast, creative team and the New Theatre Orchestra, not to mention all of the staff at the New Theatre for their splendid customer service. We would certainly visit again. An excellent show full of fun and laughter for the whole family, a must see, festive treat and fantastic value for money!! Dai Iawn!!
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £10.50 to £31 (booking fees may apply).
Aladdin is at the New Theatre in Cardiff until 17 January 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 029 2087 8889.
New Theatre, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3LN | 029 2087 8889
