Aladdin Jr at the Theatre Royal, Monday July 19, by the Nelson Youth Theatre Company. Directed by Richard Carruthers and musically directed by Melanie Carruthers.
Reviewed by Jen Amosa
The opening performance of Nelson Youth Theatre’s Aladdin Jr went off with a bang – literally.
The show includes creative use of pyrotechnics to excellent effect throughout the show, much to the delight of the audience.
Kudus to ‘Team Carruthers’ who have had the complex job of guiding, inspiring and coordinating more than 80 young cast members into a fun and flamboyant production.
Costuming was exceptional, lighting enhanced the fantasy sequences, and the set pieces made the most of the Theatre Royal’s large stage.
The show has lots of opportunities for audience participation, which was enthusiastically adopted, but I would point out to the young performers, when a show has a lot of audience interaction it is vital to wait until the audience reaction has settled before continuing with dialogue.
Most audience members will already be familiar with the story line of Aladdin due to Disney’s original animated film and the recent live action version, but the condensed Junior version has new songs and develops additional characters which keeps the show fresh and provides opportunities for performers other than the ‘leads’.
Speaking of the leads, Sam Clark’s performance as the titular character Aladdin was impressive. He had stage presence and great vocals whether singing or speaking.
Joelle Noar as Jasmine and Coco-plum Morrissey-Smith as the Genie both gave admirable performances and Tobias Young nailed the languid drawl of the villain Jafar.
My favourite scenes were the ensemble ‘Prince Ali’ and ‘Never Had a Friend Like Me’.
With a running time of just over one hour, the show is an ideal length for school holiday entertainment.
Parents and grandparents, I would recommend you take your kids to see it - you won’t be disappointed.
Aladdin Jr is on at the Theatre Royal until July 24.
