Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, Aunty Jen Productions, Studley Sports and Social Club
A PERFORMANCE of pure joy awaits audiences in the latest knockout panto from the fabulous and every evolving Aunty Jen players.
With songs, gags, dancing and some brilliant routines, it will blow away the winter blues and really get you set for the festive season.
It’s packed with standout moments too while underlying it all is a central core of a solid script and sheer professionalism.
I loved how the evil Chief of Thieves, played by William Witt, spoke in verse – who’d have thought the baddie would have such fabulous lines?
Fellow newcomers Make Baughan as the Dame Rhum Baba and Liam Atton as Ali Baba brought a new dimension to show alongside stalwarts Nicolette Morgan (Hannah) Neville Cann (Nasim Baba) and of course, Jen Rigby herself as Muddles.
The action fairly fizzes along with plenty of audience inter-action orchestrated by the ever muddled Muddles.
The dance routines are a hoot, particularly when Rhum Baba and Nasim are trying to edge their way off stage as Hannah pours her heart out in song.
And talking of Nasim, Neville Canning should be auditioning for the lead of Fiddler on the Roof after his magnificent rendition of ‘If I were a Rich Man’.
It’s all great silly fun and the joy of the players in the performance is reflected in the joy of the audience.
It all ends of course with jokes, sweets, and a tik tok dance routines which even this reviewer had a passable attempt at doing.
The show is on until Saturday, December 31 with both matinee and evening performances available.
Tickets cost just £12 – a fraction of a big city production – to book visit: auntyjenproductions.co.uk
R Crawford
