Aladdin (Sheffield Theatres) Review: an all-frills, rhinestone shimmering spectacle

Photography Credit: Pamela Raith

09 December 2025 I 19:00 I Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I PR - Invite

As pantomime season descends on the Steel City, these annual events are often an introduction to theatre for young people. As an all-frills, rhinestone shimmering spectacle, Aladdin endeavours to create the ultimate feel-good show to chase the winter blues away. Paul Hendy (assoc. Emily Wood) directs a production that blends the safety of traditional panto while finding subtle methods to reinvent the wheel... or should I say carpet!

Originally conceived as an Arabic folktale in One Thousand And One Nights, Aladdin's life of poverty is turned upside down after discovering a magical genie's lamp, sent to rescue Princess Jasmine from the wicked Ivan Tochacha (Kevin Clifton, get it?!). Injecting the story with the pantomime chaos of Dame Dolly, a 10-foot Egyptian Mummy and baby elephants, everything is positively in excess!

Photography Credit: Pamela Raith

Hendy's script-writing ebbs and flows, with local jibes at neighbouring cities and those at the price of parking in Sheffield prompting strong reactions. Some of the cheesy one-lines can however be over-laboured, as moments of spontaneity get the honest laughs. Returning for his 18th consecutive Lyceum panto, the legendary Damian Williams (Dame Dolly) commands with an easy, no-nonsense wit. Just when you think all the humour has been rinsed from a scene, Williams knows how to take it three steps further!

The musical arrangements are eclectic, with a mix for all ages. The inevitable feature of Golden (KPop Demon Hunters) has the children of the audience itching to sing along. For those less familiar, tunes like Dancing In The Street (Bowie & Jagger) compliment eighties pop-rock, and everything in between! Happiest man in the world James Harrison is a magnetic and involved musical director, opening with a charming pre-show sing-along and leading an exemplary band of four visible in the Stalls boxes.

Having seen Sario Solomon in previous roles, I have endless pride in seeing his leading performance as Aladdin. He masters such an animated sense of movement that demands our attention, complimenting a polished and vivid ensemble. A stage design from Morgan Brind uses every penny of the budget, resulting in a rich visual storytelling. Solomon takes on the magic carpet in a remarkable special effect, acing Defying Gravity while being flung upside down in mid-air, what a talent?!

Photography Credit: Pamela Raith

A run-time of 2hrs 30m does risk exhausting its audience purely from watching, the cast's enthusiasm to perform up to three-times a day is truly inspiring! Speaking of stamina, I thought I couldn't adore Kevin Clifton (Ivan) any more until tonight! Engaging with his Strictly history, it is a privilege to witness his intense Latin sequences (choreography by Sarah Langley), complete with playful menace as a superbly acted villain.

Viewers really lap up every ounce of interaction, almost deafening call-backs that had numbed my ears by leaving the auditorium, the sign of a well-received show! CBeebies star Evie Pickerill (Spirit Of The Ring) and Joey Wilby (Charlie) yield marvellous supporting characters, radiating warmth and endearing to younger demographics. Wilby's comic timing and corpsing onstage is a joyous addition.

While creatively outstanding, including elaborate and colour-fuelled costume (Brind & Amy Chamberlain), this pantomime excels with a perfectly-cast production. Beware ticket-holders, Dame Dolly is on the prowl for a lover (to Raye's Where Is My Husband!), as audience involvement goes the extra mile never seen before at the Lyceum Theatre. Utter chaos and laugh-out-loud fun, my first Sheffield Theatres panto will be the first of many, looking forward to Cinderella in 2026!!

Show Information & Tickets: https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/aladdin-panto-2025