Aladdin At Swansea Grand Theatre Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Lisa Warren

Last night’s performance of Aladdin at the Swansea Grand Theatre was, without question, a spectacular feast for the eyes. If you love colour, sparkle, glitter, glow, and every possible shade of day-glow-neon-magic, then visually this show absolutely delivers. The costumes were bright, bold, and bursting with personality, and for the younger members of the audience they were nothing short of “WOW!” There was always something happening on stage, shimmering backdrops, sparkling lighting effects, and that glittery, up-and-down shimmer whenever Alexa appeared. (Yes, Alexa. I’ll come back to her.)

The story moved quickly and there were some wonderful set pieces and a genuinely gorgeous set design. The digital style background allowed the running through the streets, flying through the sky and the Genie to be modern and intriguing to the audience.

I did feel there were a few moments of flatness even with all the colour, digital flare and stars on stage. Some sound issues, where I couldn’t hear the lyrics of the songs or individuals singing them, pacing, and a quieter-than-usual audience meant certain moments didn’t hit as strongly as they could. That being said, there was lots of adult laughter and kids giggling throughout all around me and it’s still early in the run. Pantos often settle into their rhythm after the first weekend. With a more responsive audience, I can absolutely see this show finding its full sparkle.

A modernised Aladdin tale, set in Swanseabar, with lots of little localised humour especially from our own Kev and even some from the Genie who is played by…. Nope!! Sworn to secrecy due to them being a Hollywood Star and all.. And now out of the lamp trapped at the Swansea Grand forever! muhahahaha….Oh no he isn’t oh yes he is…. Oh it’s catching!!

The story follows the baddie Sven Gali trying to get Aladdin to get the lamp and then steal it from him, in between we are introduced to Princess Jasmine, Mona Mankey ( or Widow Twanky to us old timers! ) her other son Frankie Mankie with Alexa the spirit of the ring dropping in to help move things along.

So Alexa. She was a glitter-soaked, techy little wildcard in the middle of Swanseabah. The kids absolutely lapped it up, and I have to admit her crystal-clear vocals were gorgeous. Played beautifully by Celyn Cartwright sassy, she certainly made an impression. A quirky choice, a bit unexpected and delivered with style.

Sven Gali is a baddie with many voices! More for the adults that the tots as some old favourites in there including Cilla Black, Keith Lemon and an amazing Tom Jones number. His swishing cape helped the first few moments of…has it started yet filled with humour and then he made sure the audience boo’s louder and louder…His costume reminded me of the nights of Ni from Monty Python and his demeanour was very similar to that clever slapstick too.

Joe Pasquale as Aladdin’s brother Frankie and he brought his trademark silliness, physical comedy, and a genuinely sweet energy to the role. He shared a touching moment about first performing on that very stage 40 years ago as a child, and now returning as a starring cast member, it was lovely to see how much that meant to him.

Most of his jokes and comedy were bottom or fart related which went down well with the kids, he even arrived on stage on a mobility toilet!

Alongside him, Kev Johns, a returning Swansea Grand favourite many times over, brings a warmth you simply can’t manufacture. There’s an ease to his presence, as though he’s already in on the joke with you before the scene begins. You can’t talk about the dame of a panto or Kev without mentioning the epic costume changes and wow they made the show and I loved his rendition of Copacabana.

The chemistry between Joe and Kev is absolutely one of the show’s biggest strengths; you can feel them enjoying themselves, which only adds to the joy and whenever they share the stage, the energy lifts, the jokes come thick and fast, and it’s obvious how hard the rest of the cast must work not to crack up.

The comedy medley, always a panto favourite for me, was hard to hear what was being said but the physical comedy; the slapstick was great and the kids loved Frankie getting hit with a frying pan, boxing glove and truncheon over and over again.

The finale? Brilliant. A perfect, modern, high-energy song that the kids loved and which lifted the whole room. K pop at its best with all the right moves and the costumes.. chefs kiss!

A visually dazzling, family-friendly panto with bags of potential, standout performers, and some truly magical moments well worth a visit for families, kids, and lovers of panto sparkle.

Rating: 3/5

For more information or to book tickets, visit www.swanseagrand.co.uk/Aladdin

Wednesday 10th December to Sunday 4th January 2026
Times 10:00AM, 1:00PM, 2:00PM, 5:00PM, 7:00PM
Duration 135 minutes
Price £21.00 – £44.00
BSL Interpreted Performances 11 Dec 7pm & 12 Dec 2pm
Relaxed Performance 13 Dec 10am