Review: Aladdin Pantomime at Harrogate Theatre
Christmas has definitely begun! Oh no it hasn’t, OH YES IT HAS!We visited Harrogate Theatre’s newest Pantomime, Aladdin, and it definitely got us in the mood for Christmas! The theatre foyer has been tastefully decorated and a huge Christmas Tree stands at the top of the stairs beckoning you to come up into the theatre. The staff were sporting their best Christmas outfits and we were made to feel special and looked after from the moment we arrived.
We started our visit with a trip to the Circle Bar where we had a drink before making our way through to our seats in the Stalls. The seats were comfy and the view was excellent – even for my 5 year old. The ‘chocolate box’ theatre is absolutely beautiful and the arrival set was stunning, a glittery magic lamp hanging down whilst you await the beginning of the show.
Once the show began, you knew you were going to be in for a great couple of hours! The star of the show, as always, is Tim Steadman who plays the role of Wishee Washee. This is his 22nd time performing in the Christmas Pantomime and the comic actor nails his role every single time! He knocks out joke after joke (many aimed just at the adults!) and fills the whole theatre with heart-warming chuckles.
The story of Aladdin is not quite as we know it with Aladdin and his family, Widow Twanky and sibling Wishee Washee, living in Old Peking. The Emperor of Old Peking has a daughter, So Shy, who falls in love with Aladdin and the pair are desperate to wed. However, the Emperor’s identical, evil twin brother ABBAnazar is desperate to find Aladdin and use him to recover the old, magic lamp. The story has references to the original but with it’s own Harrogate Pantomime twist – the story even features a giant Panda, Pandora, who the children will love. Music choices were fantastic with the audience clapping and singing along to many popular hits.
During the interval we chose a traditional option of ice-cream which was delicious and highly recommended!
Overall, the show is jam-packed with giggles, surprises, incredible costumes, visually spectacular set design and a huge amount of audience participation – everything a great Pantomime should be!
If you want to get yourself in the mood for Christmas, get yourself down to the Theatre. The show is running until Sunday 15th January 2023.
Booking available here!
