Aladdin - Wanneroo Repertory

Reviewed by Louis Trembath

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Aladdin - a pantomime presented by The Limelight Theatre, with permission from Ben Crocker Pantomimes Ltd, and directed by Gwen Browning with Choreography by Fiona Scott and Madison Allen, and Musical Direction by Madeleine Innes – is an interesting take on the Aladdin fable from The Thousand and One Nights, intertwined with a variety of jukebox musical numbers showcasing altered lyrics, a mix of successful and questionable jokes, and audience participation.

The audience couldn’t get enough of the incredibly evil Abanazar, played by Matt Winter, who played the part of the evil wizard in a manner that was both camp and carefully constructed. Other performers who earned mountains of laughter were Christine Smith and Gordon Park as PC Pong and Sergeant Ping, Mutiara Libbis as Wishy-Washy, and Sarah McDonald as Nobby. Each performer perfectly timed their comedic beats and didn’t hold back with their characters.

The leads of the production were Jake Libbis as Aladdin and Emily Patterson as Princess Jasmine, both of whom played alongside each other with enthusiasm and enjoyment. However, it would be wrong not to mention that the production could have utilised Aladdin and Princess Jasmine's relationship more than it did. The production is "Aladdin", further emphasising that it should follow their relationship and interactions.

Madison Allen and Fiona Scott, the choreographers for the production, added a sense of whimsy with their curated dance numbers throughout the production and captured the essence of pantomime perfectly in their design - and the execution of the dance numbers by the cast was incredible.

Another one of the standout efforts and successes of the crew's influence over the production was in the overall set design and presentation. The set was perfectly put together and added heavily to the enjoyment of the production, as there were multiple entrances, exits, and swift scenic changes that worked seamlessly throughout. The blocking used the stage perfectly by using both front and back wings to allow ease of scene changes when it came to the shifting of scenes within the production.

Aladdin at The Limelight Theatre is a pantomime for all ages with a variety of different songs and jokes, with a westernised interpretation of the tale of Aladdin.

Reviewer Note: Tickets for this review were provided by the theatre company.