THEATRE: THEATRE TRAIN SMASH PANTO OF ALADDIN AT SHANKLIN THEATRE

Pantomime is at its best when it embraces the inherent silliness of itself. And silliness, it seems, is something that the cast of Theatre Train’s Aladdin has in plentiful supply. A delightful onslaught on the senses from the get-go, this group of young performers truly brought the stage to life – with an infectious passion for their craft and an aptitude beyond their years. Though it is often looked upon as rather vapid as far as forms of theatre go, putting on an engaging panto is a deceptively challenging task. Improvisation, physical comedy and audience interaction are all difficult techniques to master, but the team at Theatre Train has given their members a fantastic environment to develop these skills. Before being magic-carpeted away to Old Peking, the audience was met by the devious Abanazer, played with eccentric flair by Ann Kulla. Taking to the stage by oneself is always a daunting task, but Kulla had a deserved air of confidence about her through this, and many similar scenes. With a shrill and erratic take on the villainous role, Kulla came into her own by the second act of the show, delivering a dazzling rendition of Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love” – an atypical choice that really stood out due to Kulla’s comedic ability. Playing the lead in a show like Aladdin is a singular conundrum. Tasked with being the centre of attention, while simultaneously having to play the straight man to a whole host of colourful and, frankly, more interesting characters – it takes a special kind of performer to really do justice to the role. Jake Eastman, however, took this in his stride, bursting onto the scene with charisma and charm in abundance. Eastman’s stage presence was undeniable, displaying the quick wit and confidence necessary to pull off continuous ad-libs and nods to the audience. Clearly a natural comedian, his timing and delivery kept scenes moving at an enjoyable pace – while his commitment to staying in character even while in the background of scenes showed impressive stage acumen. There will be minor slip-ups during any production, and I find that the way in which performers react to these can be just as good a testament to their skill as if scenes go smoothly. So, while Eastman had a little difficulty landing perfectly on key at the start of a couple of musical numbers, his ability to keep his composure and get back on track before the end was highly impressive for such a young actor. Speaking of vocal performances, Olivia Hughes provided more than one show stopping number as Princess Jasmine. “Speechless” is a personal favourite of mine from Disney’s live action Aladdin remake, and Hughes absolutely nailed it. Being chained by the despicable Abanazer at the time, she had only the tone of her voice and facial expressions available to express her emotions – a difficult thing to do at the same time as belting out a rousing number. Overall, she played a more fiery Jasmine than many might be used to (and with a great deal more kung-fu moves), but still performed with a level of poise befitting a princess. Another vocal powerhouse, Lilly Valvona took the auditorium by storm at the end of Act 1, winning over the crowd immediately as the Genie of the Lamp. Aside from an incredible vocal range across multiple solo numbers, it was Valvona’s dedication to the role’s physicality that stood out the most. Constantly leaping, spinning and gesticulating about the stage, all the while projecting her lines with fantastic diction – whether they were spoken or sung – Valvona’s cardio is to be commended almost as much as her performance. Alongside her fellow Genie, Annabella Brown gave a strong showing as the Genie of the Ring, who had a little less presence in terms of spoken lines, but more than made up for that in some expert dance numbers. The show’s dedicated dance/vocal troupe also deserves not only a mention, but the highest of praise. Present in seemingly every scene and never missing a step, these girls took on a massive undertaking in both the quantity and quality of their work. Their choreographer, Hannah Katsikides, is to be commended for playing to each dancer’s strengths and creating some truly imaginative sequences to compliment the major events of the story. Characterization can often fall to the wayside when in a strictly musical role, but the dance troupe remained constantly switched on in this regard – I often found my eyes being drawn to the side of the stage, away from the main action, due to the sheer level of stage presence radiating from some members of this team. Aladdin’s aforementioned host of colourful supporting characters made for an eclectic and talented bunch, with each excelling in certain areas. The infamous Widow Twankey was brought to life by Ember Sunnucks, who grew in confidence throughout the show despite an ailment affecting their voice before the curtains had even opened. By the time their chaotic “First Day of Christmas” routine rolled around (a hilarious highlight toward the end of the show) Sunnucks was in their element, joking around with members of the audience and displaying great chemistry with their fellow performers. Wishee Washee and his trusty panda companion Nobby were played by Logan Haywood and Emily Budd respectively, working together to deliver some much-needed slapstick comedy (what self-respecting panto could go without it?) with the latter proving a fan-favourite, if unexpected, addition to the story. Haywood displayed obvious comedic chops and took a different approach to the character – playing more of a sarcastic jokester than the traditional bumbling clown. Orla Gibbins and Norman Marsh were more than happy to fill this void as Sergeant Ping and PC Pong. Marsh’s buffoonery was a comical contrast to the more serious tone of Gibbins, elevating the overall performances of each – the goal that any comic duo should strive for. Sophia Viney often shared the stage with these blundering officers, taking on the role of China’s Emperor. With an established hero and villain already present, this Emperor role can be problematic for a performer to take on, but Viney’s talent for character-acting meant she was able to inject copious amounts of personality into the part – allowing her to shine despite a rather redundant presence in the story. For all the hard work of the principle cast, a show like this can very easily fall apart if the ensemble does not commit the same level of dedication. Thankfully for the cast of Aladdin, their sizable ensemble seemed to put everything they had into every appearance – making for a vibrant, larger-than-life backdrop to every scene. The finale of the show – an uplifting rendition of Pink’s “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” made for an excellent showcase for the ability of all of those on stage and behind the scenes. From the striking choreography, stunning vocals, precise direction and dazzling set & lighting combination, this closing number perfectly encapsulated what was a genuinely tremendous accomplishment of youth theatre. Review by Michael Mullin