Review: ALADDIN, Adam Smith Theatre

This year’s annual pantomime at the Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy is Aladdin, written by Andy McGregor and directed by Beth Morton.

Aladdin (Angus Bhattacharya) lives with his mammy Pattie McBottie (Colin Little) and brother Wipey McBottie (Scott Watson) in humble surroundings. They run the local laundry and Aladdin is in love with Jasmine, the daughter of a local councillor who disapproves of her daughter's relationship with Aladdin because his family aren’t wealthy.

We’re seeing a really positive change in panto princesses these last few years and they don’t come much more independent than Kim Shepherd’s Jasmine. Never the damsel in distress, Jasmine is clever, funny and loves Aladdin for who he is rather than what he has. Shepherd’s vocals are gorgeous and its a real joy to see a panto princess with a bit of personality. 

Aladdin is tricked into going into a cave in search of a magical lamp for Abanaazar (Derek McGhie). When he is trapped inside the cave, he rubs the lamp and finds himself with three wishes. After securing his exit from the cave, he wishes for riches for his family to make him worthy of Jasmine. 

A genie-us bit of casting is Colum Findlay as the magical being inside the lamp. Utterly fabulous in the role, they bring a real pizazz to proceedings. The musical numbers are great across the board with a really talented cast and “Shine” is a real standout. 

There are also some classic panto moments with opportunities for audience interaction. A favourite bit for the wee ones in the audience is when a “volunteer” (term used loosely) is brought onstage to take part in a particularly messy laundry scene.

As panto scripts are adapted and reused around the country, it’s nice to see a fresh take from Andy McGregor. In a fun twist, the magical spirit (Ailsa Erskine) can only be summoned by waving a Greggs sausage roll. There’s a running joke about sausage that just doesn’t grow old. Pop culture references are also packed in, along with some really great gags.

What strikes you about the Adam Smith panto is just how much fun the cast seem to be having together. As the festive season drags on, you can expect a little energy slump but not from this lot. A dropped line brings some excellent ad-libs, and its in these moments you can see what a team effort it is to bring this show together.

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