Aladdin
Theatre Royal Windsor
Until Sunday, January 14
01753 853888
A STUNNING spectacle packed with music, dance, magic and a bucketful of laughter: that’s the festive treat that has been conjured up in Windsor this Christmas.
The Theatre Royal has welcomed back Steven Blakeley, Kevin Cruise, Basil Brush and Anita Harris for its festive show, Aladdin. Joining them are musical legend Patti Boulaye and one of the best contemporary magicians in the country, Paul Zenon.
Completing the main cast are Robby Khela as Aladdin and Carmen Law as Princess Jasmine.
It is Robby who opens the show with an upbeat number showcasing his fabulous voice. This segues into a dazzling appearance by Zenon who relishes his role as the show’s baddie, Abanazar. Scenery is chewed with delight and his banter with the cast, particularly Basil Brush as the spirit of the ring, is terrific.
An equally stunning arrival comes from Steven Blakeley’s dame, with a musical number that fuses the spirit of Morecambe and Wise and a Fred Astaire musical. His dance routine is enhanced by new lighting on the wings, something of a first and used to great effect throughout the show.
Blakeley is the scriptwriter as well as Widow Twankey and is having a whale of a time as Windsor’s resident dame. To great effect, he is once again paired with Kevin Cruise, who plays Wishee Washee, and nowhere is this more apparent than when they test-run their new poodle parlour. It gets great laughs, not just from the audience, but from themselves, when things don’t quite go to plan
Their strong double act, honed by years of performances together, brings more merriment from them throughout the show, including Kevin’s now traditional party segment, and a welcome return for a riotous 12 Days of Christmas routine. It is hilariously chaotic and sees the cast enjoy every moment.
Basil Brush has a whale of a time playing the Spirit of the Ring, ensuring children shout Boom Boom Basil at every opportunity, as well as adding rib-ticklers to every scene. His residency is welcomed. He is making a swift return to the stage – days after the panto ends he will delight young and old with special performance.
Antia Harris is the Empress and has some great musical numbers that showcase her amazing talent, nowhere more so than her duet with Carmen Law – what a star she is.
A stunning voice and terrific stage presence, this is a debut to remember.
Carmen works hard with Robby Khela to sell their romance, which in panto is always fast-tracked to the wedding day. He is a great Aladdin, with a youthful exuberance and an expressive face that shares the joy, wonder and magic of his journey to a happy ending.
Patti Boulaye is radiant as the genie, lighting up every scene she is on stage for and, of course, singing beautifully too.
Aladdin is deftly directed by Carole Todd, who has a wealth of West End experience behind her, and her influences bring something fresh to the tale.
The show moves at a good pace, with a strong mixture of comedy routines and songs. It is also not afraid to tread a slightly different path to other versions you may have seen, and this is to its strength as it keeps the story fresh.
Also keeping the show fresh is the mixture of songs, some classics for the older audiences and some newer ones for the children, with the balance spot on.
The ghost scene – the moment for some real ‘behind you’ action – was sadly missing, but Blakeley did manage to get his ‘Charming’ moment into the show. And it would have been nice to have had some larger-scale illusions from Paul.
Throughout the show, the auditorium rocked with laughter, clapped with approval, and danced with joy.
You couldn’t wish for a better festive show.
Next year, the cast will be performing Dick Whittington.
