SURELY there can’t be a better panto in the whole of Pantoland than the Theatre Royal’s Aladdin.
It’s got everything from traditional side-splitting slapstick from father and son duo Clive Webb and Danny Adams to a computer-generated 3D genie and fantastical “Bogglevision” magic carpet ride. And if that isn’t enough, they’ve even got Daleks.
There are corny jokes a-plenty: “If you stole fog, would it be mist?”, and: “Why do the Teletubbies go to the toilet together? Cos they’ve only one TinkyWinky.”
And the adults aren’t left out either, with Viagra gags and even a dig about the Government’s stolen child benefit discs.
The cast ham it up to the heavens, but special mention must go to Chris Hayward as Widow Twankey, who appears in ever more outlandishly camp costumes, and North actor Craig Conway who, as the evil wizard Abanazar is the ultimate panto villain. But they’re all fantastic.
I’d book for next year’s now . . . Clive, Danny and crew are doing Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s bound to shiver your timbers — PAULINE HOLT.
