Susy Douch and her family enjoy a traditional panto night out to see the Bath Unity Players’ production of Aladdin
There are always so many pantomimes to choose from, but our family tradition is to go to one of the performances by Bath Unity Players. In previous years, my daughter has been involved with one of the dances. However, this year was a change in that we could all watch the entire show together.
Aladdin was performed by a cast of 24, supported by dancers from Curtis School of Dance, as well as Holly the dog! And from the start, the enthusiasm from the cast was clear to see for a audience made up largely of younger children and two Brownie packs.
The story begins in Chinatown with a surprise visit from Emperor Ah-Chu and his family. His daughter, Princess Balroubador is shortly to reach her 18th birthday and if a suitable husband has not been found before then, will be betrothed to the Abanazer, the Grand Vizir. The Princess is not keen on this idea and wishes to marry for love. Of course she does – it’s a panto!
In addition, Abanazer, while appearing to be a faithful and loyal servant to the Emperor, is hoping to use the betrothal as a matter of convenience to gain his fortune.
However, when The Princess meets Aladdin, the son of a lowly washerwoman, of course love blossoms.
Meanwhile evil old Abanazer is plotting to get the treasured lamp from the cave and employs Aladdin for the job. Bring on the genie, or in this case, Jeanie, brilliantly played by Gemma Tucker, sparkling from head-to-toe and inside out! Abanazer, being played by Tom Bullock, in his debut principal role, is also deserving of a special mention. His clear projection and evil sneer are the making of a truly wicked baddie!
It obviously runs in the family as his mother, Abaneez, played by Lynda Tucker, a stalwart member of the Bath Unity Players since 1970, and also wonderfully wicked – what a pair!
Keeping true to the original story is often unique for pantomimes, but the Unity Players do just that. The performance was perhaps a little long as a result (at over two hours, it meant a late night for my youngest) but it remained enjoyable throughout with plenty of silly jokes and farcical pranks.
The dancers from Curtis School of Dance were impeccably presented as always and performed well-polished routines to provide the time for trickier costume changes and to allow an interlude to the rest of the show. Some clever use of scaffolding, a large carpet, fairy lights and a sheer curtain give the imagery of flying carpet scenes, even if the use of dry ice was, on one occasion, a little over-enthusiastic on one occasion…
The sets, make-up, and costumes are all very well done and, in the case of panto dame, Widow Twankee, highly entertaining.
Yes, there are plenty of jokes, some cringingly bad, but that’s part of the pleasure (or pain) of panto! The mother and daughter comedic duo of Ho-Kee and Ko-Kee, is hilarious with even a few ad-hoc improvisations for good measure.
The cast and crew are a community theatre group and it is clear from the credits that there are strong family ties. This is certainly part of our attraction to these shows year-on-year, and it feels very much like visiting old friends. Some of the cast always seem to play similar roles and this definitely works to their strengths.
Whilst this panto does not have celebrity names on the cast, and perhaps is slightly less polished in some areas, it is a true evening of amateur dramatic family entertainment and the enjoyment and enthusiasm of the group is clear!
Aladdin runs until Sunday 22 December at Kingswood Theatre, Bath. Further details of times and tickets available online at www.bathunityplayers.co.uk Tickets £10/£12.