Review: ALADDIN, Derby Arena
A cycle velodrome doesn’t seem like the obvious place to stage a pantomime but that doesn’t stop Little Wolf Entertainment from doing this at Derby Arena every year. They, to all intents and purposes, build a theatre in the middle of the cycle track and it’s really quite something to behold.
This year, the production at Derby Arena is Aladdin. Morgan Brind’s script keeps the narrative at the centre of the show, which is somewhat of a rarity these days. There are plenty of jokes throughout but some more original comedic routines wouldn’t have gone a miss. The ones present are fun to watch and are executed well but they’re nothing new. Brind also designs the production and, for a venue with no flys, the set is very impressive. It’s very colourful and glittery and is completely traditional, with no projections to be seen anywhere. The flying carpet adds the spectacle audiences want and this is pulled off very well – the audience clearly loves this moment, especially as we’ve all been waiting for it.
The small band under the direction of Andy Booth are fantastic and despite there only being a small number of musicians, the sound they produce fills the venue perfectly. James Cook’s sound design is great – every word comes through crystal clear despite the venue not being a theatre most of the time. David Phillips’ lighting adds more colour and vibrancy to the show and Rae Piper’s choreography is great fun. It would have been nice to see the juvenile ensemble utilised more prominently though.
Aladdin is headlined by John Thomson, of Cold Feet and Spitting Image fame, and he does a good job as the villain Abanazar. He forgets his lines early on in the show, but the audience laugh it off. He has a strong singing voice and his duet with the Princess is really fun to watch. Morgan Brind is the second headliner as Widow Twankey. He is the regular dame at Derby Arena and recently won the Best Dame award at the UK Pantomime Awards. It is clear to see why. He has perfected his art well and his costumes are in equal parts ridiculous and spectacular. Each one of his costumes gets a laugh before he’s even said a word.
In the supporting cast, Anna Soden is a particular highlight. She plays the Genie of the Lamp, Siri of the Ring and PC Brigade. Sadly, she doesn’t get to do much as PC Brigade – in other productions of Aladdin, the policeman would be a valuable asset to comedy routines. Soden playing both the Genie and Siri is made a joke of many times and it’s very entertaining to see how she navigates her way round playing two characters whom other people want to speak to at the same time. Ben Tanner plays Marmaduke the monkey, which isn’t a character we’ve seen in any other version of this pantomime. Tanner’s costume design is fantastic and he gets to showcase his outstanding dance ability. He doesn’t speak very many English words in the show, which does limit how much rapport is built between him and Aladdin, but the audience clearly love Marmaduke by their reaction to him when he’s told off throughout the show.
Leading the show are Kristian Cunningham as Aladdin and Nicola Martinus-Smith as Princess Amirah. Martinus-Smith is everything you expect from a panto princess. She’s got the Disney princess singing voice down to a tee, whilst also having some fire in the belly. She and Soden add some feminism into a story that is essentially about arranged marriage which is a lovely addition to the plot. Cunningham is outstanding as Aladdin. His vocals are exceptional, giving impressive renditions of ‘Defying Gravity’ and ‘So Much Better’, and he gets the audience on side fairly quickly. This production has no Wishee Washee, the usual Buttons of Aladdin, which means Cunningham gets involved in some comedic routines. He delivers these exceptionally and his involvement in these routines definitely helps the audience to fall in love with him even more.
Aladdin at Derby Arena is a great traditional pantomime in a very non-traditional venue and the perfect festive treat for all the family.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Jacob Bush
Aladdin plays at Derby Arena until 31 December, with tickets available here.