The words “that sounds boring” when the surprise of a trip to the panto was revealed to my niece nearly ruined my festive joy.
Further conversations around “what even is it” sparked a little bit of hope.
We went along to see this year’s production of Aladdin at the Orchard West Theatre. Picture: Orchard Theatre
And by the time we took our seats in the temporary Orchard West Theatre in Dartford, and I saw her and her brother’s faces, I’d gone full Will Ferrell at the department store.
The production of Aladdin started on December 13 and will run until January 4. Linda Robson was originally the star of the show, but after she fell ill, Antony Costa from Blue stepped up to the plate. More on that later.
It must be more than 20 years since I’d been to a pantomime, but the storyline, colourful costumes and cheeky humour were all incredibly familiar and somewhat nostalgic for me. Yet, still fresh and exciting for the children.
By storyline, I refer to Widow Panky (queue hankechief-related jokes) happily working at her laundrette with her sons Frankie and Aladdin, when the latter falls in love with Princess Jasmine, only for him to fall for a trick and risk losing everything.
It was a nostalgic trip for me, but a first for my niece and nephew
There was plenty of magic lamps and genies along the way, and a flying magic carpet which impressed my nine-year-old nephew, who later told his dad “he didn’t have a harness on or anything!”
It managed to combine the classic tale of a street rat turned Prince, with plenty of modern twists. Is there a panto across the country that does not have a six-seven joke or a tribute to K-Pop Demon Hunters? It feels unlikely. There was even a nod to the Traitors.
A pantomime has always and will always be a chaotic ball of fun, created to get children into theatre early in an environment that doesn’t demand silence and sitting still.
And while it might not be a night at the opera, the leads really can sing beautifully, and the young ensemble put on energetic and confident performances, too.
X Factor singer and West End star Anton Stephans appeared as the Genie of the Lamp. Picture: Orchard TheatreAntony Costa has stepped in to the Orchard West theatre’s pantomime Aladdin at the last minute. Picture: Orchard Theatre
It revels in its lack of perfection. A few technical issues with sound and giggles from the cast when the lines go awry add to the chaos and magic, but is something that can ruin a normal theatre show.
Speaking of ruining a show, losing your star performer could easily do just that.
Sadly, Linda Robson fell ill and had to step away at the last minute. The story told on the night, was that Antony Costa was in India on tour with Blue when he got the call. He flew home Monday, got the script Tuesday and was on stage that night.
This led to a) a lot of accidental humour as the cast tried their best to help him, b) I suspect more renditions of One Love than previously planned and c) an awful lot of admiration for him.
It must have been nerve-racking to go out in front of an audience of children, famously the harshest critics, and perform something you had barely rehearsed.
There was plenty of audience participation and the kids could get involved all the way through. Picture: Orchard Theatre
What could have been a disaster ended up being a lovely Christmas miracle to complete this fun, chaotic and unforgettable production of a classic pantomime.
It even converted one seven-year-old girl from a cynic to having big plans to be on that stage next year.
Aladdin is at the Orchard West Theatre in Dartford until Sunday, January 4. You can book online here.
You can also book tickets by calling 03433 100033.
