PantSoc has delivered a quirky and original take on the classic pantomime fairytale ‘Aladdin’. I was lucky enough to catch the second performance of the week, giving the cast enough time to really warm into their parts and breathe personality into the panto. The show was undoubtedly carried by the unforgettable performances of Rhys Hayes, as the villainous Abanazar, Matthew Lecznar as the titular hero and Alistair Kerr, who provided the most effortless and endearing performance of the night, as the old Emperor.
The cast showcased their talent as a chorus, with some standout vocal performances from Emma Gallacher (as the rebellious Princess Chrysanthemum) and Lily Cooper, her long- suffering handmaiden. That being said, the quality of the singing was far superior to that of the dancing, which was a slight let down for some of the big musical numbers.
Credit must go to the directors (Stephanie Faye Bartlett and Lewis Chandler) and writer Stuart Hall. Act One was well choreographed and generated great expectations for its original plotline, with an unexpected love story between Abanazar and the supposedly ‘angelic’ Princess Chrysanthemum, who displayed a lust for power and independence that was a refreshing take on the slightly tired ‘hero gets the princess’ scenario. However it must be said that Act Two did not fully live up to its predecessor.
With the introduction of new, and slightly unnecessary characters, the storyline became a little muddled towards the end of the performance, as both villain and hero attempt to gather an army to finally seize the palace- and so that Ivan (Diederik van Wersch) can finally have his “Revolution!” before a perhaps anti-climatic conclusion. The script was sharp in most places, with on point humour targeting topics such as the current job market for graduates (always a killer), the ‘renovation’ of Central Hall, and several pairs of harem pants worth of popular culture references; the scene where Aladdin attempts to ward off the distractions of Facebook , Youtube and Wikipedia inside the cave being one of my favourites.
In all, everyone who contributed to the production of ‘Aladdin’ should be incredibly proud to have been a part of one of the highlights of the York University calendar and a fantastic way to mark the return of pantomime to Central Hall.
Great review!! I’ll get a ticket now!
i saw it on the same night; it was a very good show. only comment i’d have is the whole “matching everyone up” is becoming something of a self parody now. maybe the next panto someone can come up with a “matchmaker bingo” like i did for this one.