Theatre Review: Aladdin, 5 December, King’s Theatre, Edinburgh

Think your days of enjoying panto are behind you? Oh no they’re not!

Aladdin arrived at Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre last week, a few months after a preview on this site stated that “the effects are impressive, the actors in fine form. Let’s hope they compliment each other well and inject some much needed energy into a tired art form.” So has the final product lived up to its early promise?

Opening with a glimpse into the dark world of Abanazer (Grant Stott) as he sets his plan in motion to rule the world, the show then moves into a lively number from High School Musical. Into this saccharine madness arrives Widow Twankey in the shapely form of Allan Stewart, a man for whom it would seem panto was invented.

From here the panto constantly threatens to turn into The Allan Stewart Show, which is admittedly no bad thing. With years of experience, Stewart is the perfect panto dame, his barrage of jokes and ability to keep proceedings on an even keel a thing of theatrical beauty.

Theatre Preview: Aladdin 2008-2009, King’s Theatre, Edinburgh

Being early June we’ve reached that time of year once again when Qdos Pantomimes inevitably gears itself up for Christmas, teasing and titillating the expectant mass with a preview of this year’s show Aladdin, running from 29 November – 18 January.

Following a balmy couple of days the clouds once again gathered last night, releasing a deluge on the crowd of group-booking grannies shuffling into Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre.

The jokes were old and the audience as keen to yell out ‘he’s behind you,’ as ever but this year King’s has a new toy in its armoury, contributing to ticket sales which are already well ahead of last year’s.

Returning to the stage for their tenth pantomime together local celebrities Allan Stewart and Grant Stott could be forgiven for feeling ever so slightly upstaged by the latest addition.