Theatre

Aladdin

Prince Edward Theatre, London

William Russell

four stars

CHRISTMAS does seem to arrive earlier every year, but a pantomime in June is surely pushing things too far.

This latest Disney stage version of one of its animated films pretends to be a musical – composer Alan Menken has come up with some additional songs – but is pure pantomime. There is, however, no dame, what with Aladdin being an orphan, although there is camping it up in plenty and a whole series of vintage bad puns to groan at. The splendid sets by Bob Crowley include one of the best transformation scenes ever when Aladdin enters the cave seeking the lamp and the stage erupts into a world of gold fit to dazzle even an Inca.

Among other pluses are a thrilling tap dance routine, a very good flying carpet, and a well trained, and beautifully if scantily clad, hard working cast. But the show lacks heart, which a pantomime never should. Aladdin is nicely done by Dean John-Wilson – his cleavage rivals that of Princess Jasmine, an ardent feminist, played by gorgeous Jade Ewen in a sparkling series of harem pants – and Don Gallagher does a vintage hiss-and-boo-me turn as the nasty Vizier who wants the girl. The genie of the lamp is American import Trevor Dion Nicholas, who plays the audience with consummate skill.

But one really does not care what happens either way, while the songs, A Friend Like Me from the film apart, are neither here nor there. Disney, however, always knows what it is doing commercially and the money is undeniably up there on the stage even if the magic tricks seem mostly to involve puffs of smoke and trapdoors. It will, of course, probably run and run.