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Stars explained: * A production of no real merit
with failings in all areas. ** A production showing evidence of not
enough time or effort, or even talent, and which never breathes any real
life into the piece – or a show lumbered with a terrible script. *** A
good enjoyable show which might have some small flaws but has largely
achieved what it set out to do.**** An excellent show which shows a
great deal of work and stage craft with no noticeable or major
flaws.***** A four star show which has found that extra bit of magic
which lifts theatre to another plane. |
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Fun and more fun in old PekingAladdin and His
Wonderful Lamp
Sutton Arts Theatre, Sutton Coldfield *** EVERY pantomime
year seems to produce a new favourite joke. This year, it involves King
Tutankhamun, who is referred to as King Tooting Car Horn. It is amusing
enough, but I have already heard it twice and the season has hardly
started. This time, it crops up
because Peking conversation has somehow worked round to ancient Egypt,
in a show that finds writer Richard Aucott co-directing with Debbie
Loweth as well as offering a Widow Twankey of sublime
bonhomie who
has an easy rapport
with the audience – although in this respect
the award of the potted palm must go to James Hutt's Wishy Washy, who
somewhat literally rounds off his evening by arriving onstage in a
globular costume. His amiability remains to the fore when he
invites two youngsters to share his microphone – but it is rather
disturbing when he makes it clear that he is only able to talk
with them on the stage apron, not on the stage itself. Big Brother, we
gather, has scored another first. Christina Peak is a happily authoritative Aladdin
who produces the second thigh-slap of my season, and who, according to
the programme has “competed in dance ciopertissions for ballroom, Latin,
freestyle and rock and roll.” Michelle Dawes (Princess Jasmine) is
Aladdin's charming bride-to-be and Dexter Whitehead is his
arch-enemy Abanazar – who intermittently offers an unexpectedly charming
smile.
Aimée Hall is the delightful So-Shy who also
catches us on the hop with her irresistibly raucous contribution
to a duet. Joseph Hicklin brings dignity to the Genie of the Lamp and
Emily Armstrong is a Spirit of the Ring who has apparently dropped in
from EastEnders. Mark Nattrass and Tomas Frater are Wong and Pong,
the policemen of the piece, and there is royalty from the Emperor (Brian
Todd) a touch of religion via the Priestess of the Pyramid (Pat Morris)
and a surprising scatter of nobility from the Nissan of Nechells, the
Skoda of Stechford and the Honda of Handsworth. There's lots of happiness around – in which
connection, the very happy chorus includes a young lady who manages to
out-smile everyone. I don't know who she is, but she is the only one
whose harem pants are red, if that's a clue. On the downside, it is a
shame that those four hard-working mites at the back never get a chance
to form the front row. Also deserving of a medal, but again destined to
go unrecognised right now is the youngster whose every arrival on stage
consists of energetic acrobatics. Excellent! To 18-12-10 John Slim |
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