Review: Aladdin at the Key Theatre - great, traditional panto fun

Aladdin, the Key Theatre Christmas Panto 2023

Laughs in all the right places – and some in the wrong ones too – made for a great couple of hours entertainment from the cast and crew of Aladdin at Peterborough’s Key Theatre.

That is the thing with panto, sometimes things don’t always go to plan – and when they didn’t the audience just lapped it up like they did the Dame’s funniest Christmas cracker jokes of the night.

Yes, the show must go on and someone will get the Mickey taken out of them.

The Key’s been putting on panto since the beanstalk was a sapling, and this year it is traditional as turkey with all the trimmings.

Lots of silly jokes (some about RAAC!) and sketches – plus plenty of song and dance and some cute pandas and a dragon – carrying the story along to its (spoiler alert) happy ending.

Inevitably the set pieces (12 days of Christmas and the ghost gag which were very well done) got the biggest audience reaction.

David Griffin-Stephens (Widow Twankey) and Laura Crowhurst (Wishee Washee) deserve a lot of credit for two terrific comedy performances that kept the smiles on everyone’s faces.

Andrew Sharpe was an entertaining, comically villainous Abanaza, while Feyi Wey complete with big hair and personality as The Genie caught the eye but should have been used more (and where was the magic?).

Max Taptygin (Aladdin) and Emily Tan (Princess Peonie) had a nice connection and sang well; and a special mention for the dancers – great choreography.

Tickets for performances until December 31 from www.keytheatre-peterborough.com