Aladdin, theatre review: Sheer Genie-ous as glittering Trevor Dion Nicholas steals the show

Casey Nicholaw’s big-budget production is packed with busy numbers, but Trevor Dion Nicholas is the reason to come and see this glitzy show, says Henry Hitchings
Charisma: Nicholas stars as the Genie
Dave Benett
Henry Hitchings21 June 2016

The main reason to see this glitzy Aladdin can be summed up in three words — Trevor Dion Nicholas.

As the Genie he is show-stealingly brilliant in this lavish Disney adaptation of the beloved early Nineties film.

Dusted with glitter, he is charismatic, warm and very funny — never more so than during the infectiously energetic song Friend Like Me.

It is hard to escape the feeling that Aladdin is a pantomime and should not be opening in June.

But Casey Nicholaw’s big-budget production is packed with busy numbers, calculated to distract us from such details. Although the magic carpet ride that accompanies one of the best-known songs, A Whole New World, may not reach dizzy heights, Bob Crowley’s sets are awash with bling and there are some dazzling special effects.

Fans of deliberately groan-inducing puns will find plenty to delight them too. Chad Beguelin’s book is puckish and the same goes for the lyrics — partly his work and partly that of Howard Ashman and Tim Rice — while Alan Menken’s score is varied and zestful.

Aladdin himself, played by Dean John-Wilson, is less like a street urchin than a gym-toned Tinder date — affable, eager and a bit bland. But his trio of goofy pals are likable and Jade Ewen, once of the Sugababes, is a vocally impressive Princess Jasmine.

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1/50

Curiously, everyone speaks with an American accent, despite the characters being Middle Eastern and most of the cast hailing from places such as Bolton and Birmingham. The exception is the evil vizier Jafar, portrayed as a misanthropic Brit.

That’s not easy to swallow, yet on the whole this is a show with a well-judged air of mischief and spectacle.

Till February 11, Prince Edward Theatre, (0844 482 5151)

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