Review: Whitehaven Theatre Group's performance of Aladdin

Whitehaven Theatre Group is hosting its performance of Aladdin in The Solway Hall throughout the week.

The story opens with the evil Abanazar, who wants to become the most powerful sorcerer in the universe, but needs the magic lamp.

The villain Abanazar (Image: Dave Wilson)

James Ridehalgh plays Abanazar perfectly, engaging the audience and eliciting many laughs from the children in the crowd.

It is discovered that Aladdin is destined to have the lamp, so Abanazar journeys to Peking to find him.

At the same time, a princess journeys to Peking, where she meets Aladdin and falls in love, much to her father's disdain.

The slave of the ring played by Kate Johnston (Image: Dave Wilson)

The story follows the adventures of Aladdin and his family, the hilarious Whishee Washee, played by Louisa Morton and Widow Twanky, played by Shaun Donald.

Both Whishee Washee and Widow Twanky add a comical energy to the play that can't be matched.

They engage wonderfully with the audience, and younger people will certainly find them hilarious.

Young cast members perform a dance routine (Image: Dave Wilson)

For me, Whishee was the character of the show and carried a lot of the jokes, entertaining adults and children alike.

The dame, Widow Twanky, had a great stage presence. As did other key characters like Aladdin, the villain Abanzar, the princess, and her father.

Whilst the show is a pantomime and is primarily aimed at children, there was a lot of humour throughout the performance for adults too.

Young cast members perform a dance routine (Image: Dave Wilson)

Performers frequently talked about Whitehaven, poking fun at the place in a way that people from the town will love.

The genie, played by Grant Tebay, had an amazingly designed costume, and Tebay played the part perfectly.

PC Peasy and PC Squeezy, the hilarious police duo who were on the tail of Aladdin, also put on a fantastic display, adding a unique twist to the classic tale.

PC Peasy and PC Squeezy (Image: Dave Wilson)

All characters in the pantomime drifted well between acting, comedy, and musical theatre.

The performance blended classic storytelling with modern humour and a local twist.

Whitehaven Theatre Group offered their own twist on a timeless classic.

Dancers perform in a musical routine (Image: Dave Wilson)

The play was well written and will bring festive cheer to the town in the build-up to Christmas.

Aladdin runs from December 9 until December 14 in The Solway Hall. Further details can be found online.