Genie-uinely excited for this year's panto!

Aladdin is the pantomime at the Princess Theatre in Hunstanton.

It’s all about a magic carpet, a genie and a lamp - with Aladdin as the panto of choice. And it may only be September, but as I enter the theatre this year’s dame is on stage to welcome us with a big, “Cooee, it’s me…Widow Twankey, hellloooooo.”

Last year Josh Rettie played the Prince and is excited to be playing a very different character, “I am really looking forward to it, slightly different role than last year - more of a comedy role. Being a dame, any dame, you can kind of just have fun with it all, you can play around, mess around and just make sure everyone’s having a good time really.”

Josh Rettie as Widow Twankey

I ask what it’s like in all the make-up and the extravagant wigs and outfits, “Hot, very hot, I feel about 6 foot taller than I normally am, putting the make-up on was a bit of a challenge but I’m learning as I go, so hopefully by December I’ll look fabulous!”

Lewis Southall’s playing the Emperor (Princess Jasmine’s father), “Panto is Christmas, it is Christmas in a nutshell, it’s everything you want - joy, presents, camaraderie - we love it and panto is the best form of theatre.”

Aladdin’s his favourite he tells me - adding singing is a favourite too, “I hope I have a very, very large solo part,” he jokes. I ask for a bit of a song, and he does a few lines from 'A Whole New World'.  If it were me picking the solos - he’d have my vote.

Lewis Southall as the Emperor 

The antagonist, Jafarazad, is Jess Broadbent’s role, "I love playing a baddie, personally I find it so much fun, I find it a challenging journey because it’s so different to how I am normally - I’m quite a nice person I would say! But I love it, I love to explore that side and just be mean to everyone.”

She says panto’s one of the reasons she got into theatre and is dedicating her performance to her mum, Barbara, “My mum used to take me to the pantomine every year and I just loved all the lights - costumes - everything about it, and it really just got me into wanting to do it as a career.”

As a leave to chat to another cast member she gives me a sinister smile and a bit of a rendition - I can hear the audience booing and hissing already.

Jess Broadbent as Jafarazad

On to the less sinister role of Princess Jasmine. Freya Barton says she grew up going to the panto, “I like the fact that it brings everyone together around the festive season and it provides lots of fun and laughter. It was such a big thing in my local town to go.”

Freya Barton plays Princess Jasmine

Amy Robinson (Spirit of the Ring) adds, “I just love the audience’s reaction, especially when the curtain opens at the beginning it’s just magical and hearing all the children screaming and really getting into the Christmas spirit - it’s fantastic.”

Amy Robinson - the Spirit of the Ring

Sam Littlewood is taking on the star role of Aladdin, he played Muddles last year in Snow White.  He’s abroad until rehearsals start, but says he’s excited to be back again this year hoping ‘you all enjoy the show’.

And it’s in safe hands being directed by Keith Simmons, “This is my 35th production to direct, I’ve written over 150 pantomimes mainly with my son Ben.”  Clearly a panto fan!

"I am.  It’s a great way to introduce children to live theatre.  Pantomine is a bit of everything, they’re great stories so it’s great drama, great music, great singing, great dancing and most of all great comedy - if you can mix all those things together, and have the audience go out feeling better than when they came in - you’ve won the day.”

Lucy-Rose Rollason's the choreographer, “I am so excited - we’ve got a great cast who look like they’re all going to point their feet for me, and we’ve got some great tracks.”  Members of her school will be dancing too.

Before I go Widow Twankey stops to say, "If you like Scottish dames, then you've got one coming your way - think Mrs Doubtfire but more fun because Widow Twankey's the best!"

Tickets are on sale now - after meeting the cast I've already got mine. Time to practice those cheers, boos and hisses and teach my one year old to shout 'it's behind you!'

Aladdin at The Princess Theatre in Hunstanton runs from December the 6th until the 4th of January.  For more info: https://www.princesshunstanton...

Images all Ian Burt.