“A commensurate homage told through rich sets and lavish costumes.”
One thing promised by this lively musical production of Disney’s Aladdin is “breathtaking spectacle” and that is one thing it delivers in spades. Most obviously this is displayed through the extravagant set design, with huge backdrops and opulent props brought to life with skilful lighting and even subtle motion, when required.
The visual effects truly are stunning throughout, not just in the sense of their use in bringing the sets and scenery to life, but in their ability to render all the wonder and magic of the story of Aladdin.
The costumes are similarly well put together and, as well as being a visual delight, also serve to help us pick out key characters amid the larger ensemble piece, and help us with characterisation and the identity of characters. The coherence of the visual language means that even those unfamiliar with the Disney film on which the adaptation hangs should not feel that they’re missing anything.
The choreography is flawlessly synchronised and expertly realised by the performers – the myriad set pieces, some featuring upwards of twenty characters on stage at a time, are excellently timed and flow so naturally with the action and character interactions as to be almost seamless.
The dialogue can sometimes feel like it loses pace but is consistently clever and witty enough in its writing so as to not ever become uninteresting. Some truly stand out characters in terms of their written parts are the Vizier Jaffar and, naturally, the Genie. Genie also receives a stand-out treatment from actor Yeukayi Ushe, whose presence and enthusiasm for the role are only embellished by a phenomenal singing performance and what can only be described as an effortless charisma on-stage.
The music is upbeat and often punctuates the scenes it appears in well, serving to break up some longer interactions and provide some more concise exposition. The score and performances are all reasonable, with even songs from the film rearranged and gently altered to keep them fresh and, presumably, to better fit with the stage production. There are few memorable musical moments, however, and I find it is more often the accompanying visual spectacle that is keeping my attention during some of the longer pieces.
Ultimately an enjoyable experience, with a few notable highlights, but much more of a bright, busy display than anything else. Though there were some excellent performances, some clever set design, some good music, it is unfortunately just about not enough to truly elevate the production to what it could be with a little more care. A recommendation for fans of film, or those who just want to see some lovely visual effects.