Panto review: Aladdin at Blackpool Grand Theatre - magical feel-good family fun and naughty laughs starring Steve Royle and Tom Lister

The atmosphere was buzzing inside the Grand on opening weekend, with families excited to take part in the annual tradition.

Little girls and boys flashed their colourful lamps and swords in the theatre, ready for an afternoon of pure escapism, on Sunday 03rd December 2023.

Bigger and better special FX

A strong and diverse cast brought this classic and mysterious tale to life – and the set designs and special FX seemed bigger and better than ever!

Steve Royle, Blackpool’s man of a thousand pantos, stars as Wishee Washee. His loveable silliness is evenly matched by Tom Lister’s darker panto-villain humour, as Abanazar. The pair bounce off each other brilliantly, and have the crowd – both young and old – in stitches.

Modern and relatable take on a classic tale

Lister plays a dastardly baddy you love to hate – he gives a purposely over the top performance as the evil magician, and it’s backed up by fabulous sound and visual effects that create an aura of mystery.

I love that this old-fashioned story has plenty of references to modern culture. Mervin Noronha is super-relatable as Aladdin, and his love story with Princess Jasmine has the crowd rooting for them to get together – and they do a gorgeous romantic vocal duet!

Rude jokes to make the grown-ups blush

Smutty humour has the grown-ups blushing and giggling in equal measure – Widow Twankey (Ben Harlow) is never far away for those uproarious moments!

And the laundrette themed comedy songs are possibly my favourite part – I’m still bopping around the house to the ‘If you like it then you should have put a spin on it’ Beyonce cover two days later.

Joyful little dancers

The show is also filled with delightful dance routines, courtesy of the young dancers at Barbara Jackson Theatre Arts Centre, and award-winning choreographer Katie Hill. The youngsters get the chance to be in the panto every year, and it’s a joy to see how happy the little ones are to perform on stage.

The lighting, costume, and the live band are all fabulous, and the special effects make this a truly magical show with something for the whole family.

Where can I buy tickets for the Aladdin pantomime?

Martin Dodd’s production of Aladdin is a must-see this festive season. It runs until the 01st Jan, 2024 at Blackpool Grand.

Contact [email protected] or call 01253 290 190 to book.