After years of waiting, Disney’s international hit ‘Aladdin’ has finally embarked on its maiden UK Tour, opening in Scotland’s very own Edinburgh Playhouse. The story follows down on his luck Aladdin as he desires more than the poor life he currently leads. His fortune changes when he bumps into Princess Jasmine and is then recruited on a magical mission by Jafar, that takes him on an adventure beyond his wildest dreams. ‘Aladdin’ plays Edinburgh’s answer to Broadway till Saturday 18th November.
Gavin Adams is the epitome of a lovable rogue as Aladdin. Gavin leads this musical with such incredible energy and brilliant vocals, most notably nailing the superb number ‘Proud of your boy’ and of course capturing the audience with a sky-high performance of ‘A Whole New World’. This is champagne casting and Gavin really delivers a great portrayal of the iconic Disney hero. Desmonda Cathabel is a lovely Princess Jasmine, she shows determination, confidence and above all, kindness. Throughout her performance she supplies gorgeous vocals for numbers such as ‘These Palace Walls’ and of course accompanying Gavin in the magical performance of ‘A Whole New World’. The two performers truly bring together the chemistry we know and love of these legendary characters.
Of course, where would Aladdin be without the Genie? And what a Genie this production has. Yeukayi Ushe is utterly spellbinding as the Genie. His showmanship is jaw-dropping. ‘Friend Like Me’ is one of the most magical musical numbers you will see on a stage, and that is down to the incredible performance Yeukayi provides, tackling astonishing choreography, delivering stunning vocals and nailing side splitting comedy. Throughout this musical you crave more of Yeukayi’s Genie, the character really is a tonic and has the audience in the palm of his hands. Yeukayi’s portrayal is sublime and is without a doubt an audience favourite.
Adam Strong is deliciously devious as Jafar. Adam embraces the villainy of Jafar with a slight glitzy campness. You can’t resist but love to hate him. Along with Angelo Paragoso as Iago, the pair make a hilarious duo. Jo Jervi features as the Sultan, Jasmine’s long-suffering Father who is stuck between wanting whats best for his daughter and Agrabah. This is a great performance where we see less of the cartoonish frantic persona, and more of a loving father with comic nuance.
In the musical Abu has been cut, however we are instead gifted with three of Aladdin’s friends who are also absolutely lovable rogues. Nelson Bettencourt as Babkak, Adam Taylor as Omar and Nay-Nay as Kassim all shine as comedic and energetic underdog heros. The musical number ‘High Adventure’ is a welcome addition to the story, and this is thanks to the sheer brilliance of these three performers.
The ensemble in this production take on a multitude of roles to create the world of Agrabah, tackling some of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s greatest known hits. The ensemble are as follows; Hannah Amin, Dammi Aregbeshola, Rico Bakker (Swing), Daisy Barnett (Swing), Sarah Benbelaid (Swing/Assistant Dance Captain), Tau-En Chien, Zac Frieze, Erin Gisele Chapman, Jared Irving, Juan Jackson, James Lim, Harriet Millier, Luchia Moss, Aaron Elijah Patel (Prince Abdullah), Abbie Platts, Joseph Poulton, Chris Ribz, Olivier Scheers (Swing), Kerry Spark, Ricardo Spriggs (Swing/Fight Captain), Damien Winchester (Standby Genie/ Babkak/Sultan) & Niko Wirachman (Swing/Dance Captain).
Alan Menken’s music with Howard Ashman, Chad Beguelin and Tim Rice’s lyrics for ‘Aladdin’ are utterly divine and timeless. The music that’s been added to the musical helps enhance the story and adds to the rich score of the original Disney film. Chad Beguelin’s book for the musical captures the original tale, bringing Aladdin, Jasmine, the Genie, Jafar and the numerous other characters to stage brilliantly. At points the production can resemble a large budget pantomime, however the embracing of various cultures, the magical spectacle and Broadway glitz in Casey Nicholaw’s direction, takes ‘Aladdin’ away from Panto adaptions of the fairytale. Casey also provides stunning choreography for this production which elevates each number and builds to the overall before mentioned spectacle.
Bob Crowley’s scenic design immerses the audience in Agrabah, with the most notable set piece being the stunning cave. Some of the sets seem a little dated however others are simply magical. Jim Steinmeir’s illusion design compliments the design, of course his most notable contribution to this production is the breathtaking flying carpet. All of this is accompanied by Natasha Katz’s warm and colorful lighting design. Gregg Barnes’ costume design really is beautiful, there are numerous costumes that could be mentioned, but ultimately the most stunning design is that of the Genie, the trickiest character to bring to stage but is delivered with such style, all thanks to his gorgeous costume.
‘Aladdin’ is an entrancing production that features all of the magic of the original Disney film and more. You ain’t ever seen a production like this.
Get your tickets for ‘Aladdin’ at the Edinburgh Playhouse here:
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/disneys-aladdin/edinburgh-playhouse/
Theatre Scotland 
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