Aladdin

Aladdin Poster

a pantomime by John Morley

Director - Mike Sparks


December 2008

Wednesday 10th at 7.45pm
Thursday 11th at 7.45pm
Friday 12th at 7.45pm
Saturday 13th at 3.00pm and 7.45pm


There are some pictures on Aladdin gallery page


The full programme [74K pdf] for this production is available from the archive


The Guild Players, Finchley’s amateur drama group, present John Morley's version of an all time family favourite. There are plenty of chances to boo and hiss at Abanazer and to cheer Aladdin, Widow Twankey and Wishee Washee. This production contains all the elements of a traditional Christmas pantomime.

Aladdin Programme Cover

Act 1

1. The courtyard of Emperor Chopsuey's palace in Pekin
2. At Radio Rick Shaw's Hire Service
3. In Widow Twankey's Laundry
4. A path in the mountains near Pekin
5. In the gloomy cave

Act 2

1. The Flied Lice Inn, a Chinese take-away restuarant
2. The street of a thousand chopsticks
3. The room of My Mummy in the Great Pyramid of Egypt
4. The path back to Pekin
5. The courtyard festivities

Cast
Aladdin Twankey, a Chinese laundry boyCarol Renfrew
Widow Twankey, his mother, a Chinese washerwomanPaul Manel
Wishee Washee Twankey, another Chinese laundry boyDavid Constable
The Great Abanazar, the wicked Egyptian magicianIan Antony-Paul
Chopsuey the Twelth, the Emperor of ChinaJeffrey Benge
Dragona the Thirteenth, his wife and EmpressHelen Costin
Princess Say Wen, their daughterMarianne Bigg
Chow Mien, the Grand VizierAlan Jobson
Prince Pekoe, his sonRachel Fulford
Bamboo, a Chinese police superintendentMichael Lamb
Typhoo, a Chinese police sergeantPaul Sparks
Rick Shaw, a lady taxidriverLynda Gordon
Strong Pong, the Emperors executionerSally Martin
Madam Flash Bang, the royal photographerLynda Gordon
Mazda, the genie of the lampAlan Kenny
Mazawattee, the spirit of the ringSally Martin
The Egyptian MummyJeffrey Benge
Citizens / Washerwomen / SlavesRowena Berliner
 Carolyn Liang
 Naomi Cullingham
 Lynda Gordon
 
Band
PianoCarole Catley
CelloJill Clarke
DrumsCharles Harvey
 
Production Team
DirectorMike Sparks
Associate DirectorLaurie Heatherington
ChoreographerAlison Manel
Rehearsal PianistPhilip Bigg
LightingMartin Higgins
 Andy Higgins
WardrobeJenny Sparks
DressersAnne Higgins
 Sally Martin
 Barbara Heatherington
Stage ManagerMike Sparks
Stage CrewAri Gnanamuttu
Set ConstructionMike Sparks
 David Constable
Scenic PaintingNaomi Cullingham
 Ian Antony-Paul
 Lynda Gordon
PromptBetty Robertson
Front of House ManagersStephen & Carole Sewell
 Stewart & Judith Shrank
Box Office ManagerBetty Burgess
Publicity DesignRachel Fulford
 Tim Dehnel
ProgrammeDavid Constable

Review

The Archer, East Finchley's community newspaper, printed a review on page 11 of the January 2009 issue.

Strictly panto

by Daphne Chamberlain

"Pantomime is back for another season. Well, what can we say? Amazing costumes, oodles of energy. Doddery it was not! The Guild Players presented Aladdin as their Christmas show, and we all loved it.
This was a show in strictly panto tradition, with all the usual over-the-top characters, evoking ecstatic grins on the faces of some small boys in my row, and the classic question overheard in the interval, "But why is he a girl?"

Keeping all ages happy

I went to the matinee, when many children were present, and the audience participation was whole-hearted. The show kept a good balance between pleasing both adults and children, and the entire cast should be congratulated on the way they drew the audience in.
This is sometimes difficult to do when the audience is very close, and when a lot of them know the performers, but the actors were excellent. So was the three-piece band, though it seemed a shame that the actor with the most impressive voice (the villain, Abanazer) didn't have more to sing. Full marks, though, for avoiding the love duets, which usually seem so tiresome to a child.
The show built to a lively climax. In the words of their last song, they finished on top, and those costumes were fabulous.
The Guild Players rehearse and perform at Ballards Lane Methodist Church, N3. For more details about this established company, who put on several shows a year, visit www.guildplayers.org.uk"


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We are Three Sisters
Thur 25 to Sat 27 April 2024 at 7.30pm
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