Aladdin, Mountbatten Players, The Point, Eastleigh (From Daily Echo)

Aladdin, Mountbatten Players, The Point, Eastleigh

10:15am Wednesday 18th January 2012 in Curtain Call By Anne Waggott

TO CELEBRATE their “coming of age”, Mountbatten Players chose to stage the perennial favourite Aladdin – and with productions of this calibre they’ll be entertaining the south for at least another 21 years.

In this originally scripted version, enhanced by an eclectic mix of sizzling choreography, great music, professional lighting and sound effects, a fabulous flying carpet, beautiful hired scenery, a colourful collection of hired costumes blending seamlessly with those “homemade”, the audience was transported to the Far East, and all the eastern promise was fulfilled.

There were exuberant characters aplenty, with a likely lad pairing of witty Wishee-Washy and his incorrigible brother Aladdin (reminiscent at times of certain Trotter siblings), a beautiful, effervescent Jasmine, formidable Widow Twankey, marvellously malevolent villain Abanazar, a dominant Empress, and a sardonic Genie.

The Chinese Police were straight out of the ‘Academy’ while the ‘tribute’ to a certain airline ad was brilliantly sung and somewhat inspired.

Wonderfully magic family entertainment.