Twerking, Pasties, and Magic

Five Falmouth University Students, (Tia Boddey, Maisie Milward, Marla Payne, Fleur Rogerson, and Katie Winsor) from the Ba(Hons) Journalism course came along to Aladdin to put their review-writing chops to the test. Below is a review by Tia Boddey. Read the rest of the reviews here, and Marla Payne's review can be read here.

Cornwall Playhouse Productions Aladdin is a delightfully chaotic, Cornish-infused spin on the classic folktale.  

Packed with twerking, saffron bun ring tosses and an alarming number of pasties (38 references, to be exact), the pantomime whisks the audience from Kernow Town to “the most beautiful place on Earth” in a gloriously silly magic carpet ride. 

The show, directed by Nick Evans and written by Richard Healey and Edward Rowe,  follows Aladdin, his brother Willy Washaway, and his mother, Widow Twerkey, as they attempt to pay off the debts owed to the heartless debt-collector, Aberzennor. After Aladdin gives away his mother’s wedding ring to Jasmine in an awkward attempt at romance, the Spirit of the Ring appears and, in rhyme, tells them about the mystical cave full of gold and the magical lamp. The family, Jasmine and the money-hungry Aberzennor find themselves sailing the seven seas to track it down. 

The show is stacked full of smart reworks of popular modern bangers such as Lady Gaga’s Abracadabra and Chappell Roan’s HOT TO GO!, and the choreography (by Jevan Howard-Jones, whose recent credits include the film Wicked and the West End’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) is fresh and fun.  

Edward Rowe (or The Kernow King, as most Cornish folk know him) returns as the Dame once more as laundrette-owner Widow Twerkey, who easily steals the show. Twerkey makes her entrance by rolling onstage on a skateboard, crashing into the wings before popping back out and insisting (unconvincingly) that she’s “26” and has lost the ability to twerk. Twerkey’s outfits alone are enough to make you giggle, notably a fake ‘Juicy’ tracksuit with a bad platinum blonde wig and a unicorn suitcase that looks like it’s from the kids’ section in Trago.  

Gareth Cooper as Willy Washaway matches Rowe’s energy with sharp comedic timing, delivering many innuendos and plenty of physical comedy. To my delight, Rowe throws in a perfectly timed six-seven joke that landed well. Together, Twerkey and Willy command the stage so thoroughly that Aladdin (Alexander Jude) and Jasmine (Jasmine Cole) sometimes fade into the background. Both leads are strong vocal performers, but the storyline favours the comedy duo.  

Voiced by Dawn French (best known for her BBC shows French and Saunders and The Vicar of Dibley, and a celebrated Cornwall native), the Genie is complete with an evil laugh and witty jokes but, while funny, the Genie feels more like a cameo than a key character. The Spirit of the Ring (Mali Wen Davies) ends up doing most of the genie-style heavy lifting.  

The ensemble deserves praise for their performances, bringing colour to the whole stage. Young performer Belle Lamble is a particular standout, her bubbly presence stealing scenes with endearing confidence.  

Overall, Aladdin at Hall for Cornwall is a joyful, clever and hilarious pantomime. I left wishing I could watch it again next year, which may be the highest praise a panto can get. 

Aladdin runs until Sat 03 Jan , book tickets online or over the phone.

Review by Tia Boddey.