Performance Run: Saturday 10th December - Sunday 22nd January 2017

Performance Reviewed: Thursday 15th December 2016

Getting the perfect panto balance down pat is a tricky thing to do in the Kingdom of Theatredom. Write it too large, or let it become too overblown and you have the disconnecting mess that was the Barclaycard Arena’s egregious ‘Biggest Pantomime in the World’ misfire which has seen itself postponed this year for reasons we are told are nothing to do with ticket sales. But there are other pitfalls, too - lean on stunt casting too hard or flashily and you get echoes of Joan Collin’s risible tenure at the Birmingham Hippodrome a few years back, or even the recent Stacey Solomon script-gate.

The Wolverhampton Grand has a rich, proud history of panto, and on the whole doing a solid job of getting their panto ingredients mixed up just right. Recent years have seen the likes of Julian Clary, Joe Pasquale, The Chuckle Brothers and John ‘Nasty Nick’ Altman headline, so it’s not as though they sacrifice on their star wattage, either (in panto terms at least). Though even with the theatre’s enviable panto heritage - which they recently celebrated with a special reflective exhibition - it’s hard to think of a show in recent years which gels together as well as this years offering, Aladdin, manages.

It helps that the Grand, along with QDOS Productions, the uber and ubiquitous goliaths of the pants-making world, have assembled such a canny and versatile group of talent for their cast this year. TV presenter, ‘Loose Woman’ and former Emmerdale star Lisa Riley and X Factor champ Joe McElderry head up the instant name drops for most, whilst the kids will be the first to excitedly welcome the arrival of CBeebies’ Ben Faulks, more commonly known by his TV alter-ego Mr Bloom. Dame duties have been taken up by the ever-reliable Ian Adams, Britain’s Got Talent singer Lucy Kay will be name-checked by some as she reunites with McElderry (after touring in Joseph earlier this year) as the show’s resident princess, and, in one of the most inspired pieces of panto casting in memory, Gill Jordan and David Tristram’s hilarious one-woman comedic tour-de-force ‘Doreen’ takes up the mantle as the ‘Lazy Empress of China’. 

It’s a fabulous, joyous cast, who slot perfectly into an evening of panto that is funny, musical, packed with variety and does a great job of blending in some old favourites with new touches when it comes to the comedy set pieces. Watch as Widow Twankey and son Wishee Washee (a buoyant Adam C Booth) get shrunk down a la Lord Farquaad in Shrek the Musical, or later on in Act II when  Twankey, Washee, Faulks’ PC Ping Pong and Riley’s Slave of the Ring get together for a barnstorming, slapstick sing-a-long that is pure, classic, unadulterated panto. Ditto for an extended spot of 'Who Lives Where?' tomfoolery earlier on.

It’s all just terrific fun, exactly as panto should be, and, most refreshingly, it is one of the more family-oriented shows of late that doesn’t see innuendo and double entendres as its MVP for laughs. 

Riley is an absolute delight, and she immediately lets the audience know they are in safe, happy hands from the off - lighting up the stage whenever she appears with a spirited and vibrant performance. It’s clear she is having a blast and the joy radiates out to the audience with every second she’s on stage, and there are, naturally, plenty of not-so-subtle cheeky winks and allusions to her Strictly Come Dancing days. Joe McElderry gets plenty of opportunity to showcase his beautiful, rich vocals and proves himself to be a dashing, cheeky and likeable Aladdin. Adams, as mentioned, is a perfect pantomime dame, the multi-talented Stefan Pejic is a suitably boo-kissable Abanazar, and Neal Wright seems almost plucked from Disney’s West End iteration with his vibrant take on the Genie of the Lamp.

However, if there is a show to steal, consider it duly stolen by local lass Doreen. At least, she would steal it if she could be bothered to get out of bed, off her mobility scooter (her disability allowance has come through) or even her camel! Actress Gill Jordan and writer David Tristram’s comic creation has now been polished to absolute perfection, and whilst there is likely to be extra mileage from Doreen’s ‘lazy cow’ Black Country charm for those who are local, even objectively she is a hilarious, scene-stealing creation, and absolutely one of the highlights of the entire production. Jordan’s instincts and comic timing are faultless, and it was particularly great to see the characterisation work here - as well as a fantastic solo number - allowing her to showcase more dimensionality to her talents as the Empress occasionally slips into her more commandeering and officiating mode.

In all, Aladdin is everything you could wish for (and I’d tried so hard to avoid that pun) from a traditional panto - it’s laugh-out-loud yet family-friendly funny, carried by a great cast and an infectious energy throughout, with a real broad spectrum of variety entertainment that truly offers something for all ages. It is by some measure the best panto that Wolverhampton has offered for some time, and whilst it may not re-invent the panto wheel, one assumes that the packed audiences filling the Grand know what they want, and will have a lot of laughter and joy discovering Aladdin offers it in abundance.

Wishes granted.

RATING - ★★★★

Tickets: 01902 429 212  / Official Website: click