THE STAGE REVIEW | ALADDIN

AladdinPublished Wednesday 21 December 2011 at 15:43 by Susie WildJimmy Osmond, the youngest member of 70s pop act the Osmonds arrives in Swansea as Wishee Washee ahead of the band's biggest ever UK tour in March.The addition of this retro, chart-topping pop star makes this story of Aladdin and his lamp one that is bound to please the city's grandmothers yet leaves song choices rather bewildering for younger viewers. Still, while they sing along to Little Darling and join in on a ditty about how they think Jimmy is dishy, there are other more universal treats in store for the rest of the audience.3D glasses offer moments of in-your-face special effects, which feel all the more magical for occurring in a theatre environment. From the genie to the magic carpet ride, all these effects work well, although some might want to use one of their three wishes to delete the spider from the story. Moving from the virtual to the actual, the ever popular pantomime dame Kevin Johns is the real Ga Ga-esque star of the show as Widow Twankey, while Gavin Woods makes a convincingly weird baddie as Abanazar.http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/34769/aladdinGrand Theatre, Swansea, December 16-January 15Author/producer:Jonathan KileyDirector:Andrew LynfordCast includes:Jimmy Osmond, Kevin Johns, Zoe George, Gavin Woods, David Lawrence, Paul RiversRunning time:2hr 25mins