Music by Alan Menken

Lyrics by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice & Chad Beguelin

Directed by Casey Nicholaw

Tickets from £20.00

As the winds of the east collide with the setting sun of the west, Edinburgh becomes the home for a familiar but still refreshing spin on a beloved tale. Older than the sands when swept across the stage, Disney’s Aladdin brings the kingdom of Agrabah, a city of mystery and enchantment, to the Edinburgh Playhouse.

The venue’s third Disney touring production in recent years – following the charming Beauty and the Beast and the eternally impressive The Lion King, Aladdin continues the magic as it brings the beloved comedic animated musical onto the stage following its successful Westend stint. It’s the tale of a down-on-his-luck ‘street rat’ Aladdin, who pushes against poverty and stigma to rise from being a thief (to survive) into someone respectable. But it all changes when he encounters the Princess Jasmine. Tired of endless suitors and the constrictions of Palace life, Jasmine looks for more control. The answer for them both might reside in a magical lamp possessing phenomenal cosmic powers. A lamp which may only be claimed by a “diamond in the rough”.

In adapting the 1992 animated film to the stage, Chad Beguelin’s book for Aladdin follows the signature beats and expectations familiar audiences would expect, taking detours to ensure every avenue of adventure is explored and no jewel is left unturned. But fret not – our journey will conclude with the same happy ending one would hope for. Expect seventy-five golden camels, ninety-five white Persian monkeys, wonderous sights, and of course, a magic carpet ride.  

Taking off their shirt and throwing on the fez, Gavin Adams turns in as roguish a charm as one would hope for the titular main character. Charismatic and likeable, there’s an immediate spark with the audience, many of whom have grown up with Brad Kane’s iconic performance. Yet Adams makes this role his: spritely and gifted with a strong vocal presence. Adams takes to Nicholaw’s choreography with relish – standing firm even as the stunt work makes its way above stage level. Nicholaw’s direction imparts a constant sense of motion – whether through the characters and stunts, or Bob Crowley’s constantly rotating set pieces from the palace interior and marketplace, or the exceptionally glittering and striking Cave of Wonders set piece, featuring glittering gold and plenty of sparkle.

Indonesian performer Desmonda Cathabel (currently competing in ITV’s Mamma Mia: I Have a Dream) ensures that the hopes and excitement of thousands of young audiences remain, playing Disney’s first non-white princess, Jasmine. Jasmine’s journey and push for agency is as integral to the story as Aladdin’s acceptance of who he is, Cathabel delivers a sincere yet stern Jasmine who is openly defiant to the expectations of the men who plan her life for her. But there’s levity and joy in the way Cathabel holds themselves in the latter moments of the production, and is a delight to watch them perform. But while Aladdin takes up a new persona to win her heart, someone else is vying for Jasmine’s hand, and they have nothing but vile, villainous, vexing and verminous motivations behind this…

In a near-panto performance that could give Grant Stott a run for their money, Adam Strong’s Jafar reigns Agrabah from the shadows, the second-in-command of the kingdom behind the blundering and bouncingly adorable Sultan (played by Jo Servi). Devouring every cape flourish, thanks to Gregg Barne’s costume design, Strong’s Jafar is as impactful and exuberant as possible. And while the production doesn’t include Jafar’s originally cut songs, it does introduce a new number, Diamond in the Rough, which allows Strong to stretch their more rock-orientated vocals. And when a reprise of Prince Ali rounds the corner, Strong throws off the shackles of comedic villainy, and embraces the cackling menace, reminding the crowd there’s still a sinister sliver to this snake-like rogue, one of Disney’s most influential and culturally known baddies.

Attempting to outdo this villainous vizier’s cruelty and evil laugh, but with fewer feathers than their animated origins, Angelo Paragoso turns the dials to eleven for their squawking and ruffled-feathered Iago, who carries the trademark plumage and vibrant colours in another of Barne’s exceptionally glorious costumes. And with some costumes weighing up to an additional three kilos and some costume changes happening in mere seconds, it’s ensured there is plenty of stage sorcery going on behind the scenes.

As much as Aladdin encourages a team performance, with the entire ensemble and cast working off of one another, there’s a healthy argument that this, for many, is Yeukayi Ushe’s show. This isn’t a copy of Robin Williams’ legendary performance or a borrow of Will Smith’s re-vamped take for the 2019 live-action adaptation – this Genie is of Ushe’s construction. All the expectant ad-libs are there, including a terrific jaunt through some of Disney’s most memorable hits (extra points for Colour of the Wind), but the performance builds upon more than just the expectant gags from the Genie. There’s an earnest sense of the character here, of a being trapped in service for millennia, and Ushe is fizzing with excitement. It all leads to Never Had A Friend Like Me, possibly the closest instance the stage show gets to the animated film, ensuring to capture the surprise and spectacle (featuring Natasha Katz’ lighting) of it all live on stage. And Ushe commands every second of that stage, with a troupe of ensemble performers demonstrating Nicholaw’s choreography at its finest. And the lengthy applause at the end of the number confirms the audience’s adoration of the show – and we’re not even at the end of act one yet.

But for all the musical numbers in the show, one is anticipated amongst the rest. Perhaps no other Disney tune carries the legacy of the one-in-a-lifetime talent that was Alan Menken quite like A Whole New World. And the production recognises this. Filled to the brim with glittering treasures and jewels, crammed with mystery and enchantment, the magic carpet is the showstopping moment of the show. A thrilling chase, the romance between Adam’s Aladdin and Cathabel’s Jasmine is swept throughout the Playhouse auditorium as the pair take to the skies, high above the stage as the glittering star-lit backdrop draws us into the majesty of it all. With swirls and twists, spins and superb score composition, very few can manage the stage magic that Disney theatrical can. It’s likely to be a scene many in the audience will carry for years to come.

And for the super Disney fans, Menken’s score is maintained and elaborated upon beautifully by Danny Troob’s orchestrations: the inclusion of numbers and characters removed from the original film making a triumphant return and fast becoming crowd favourites. The inclusion of Babkak, Omar, and Cassim (Nelson Bettencourt, Adam Taylor, and Nay-Nay) offers a deviation from the story we know injecting a sense of High Adventure for one of the show’s breakaway moments of fierce entertainment as the swords clash and the action thrusts in a necessary sense of momentum and high-stakes energy.

There’s no need for all three of those wishes: the Playhouse grants them all in one. An ancient tale, one told with a new spin, think of Aladdin as the 1002nd Arabian Tale. The magic raises a smile across the audience, and that’s the one thing we could all do with right now. With a bit of sun and a hearty laugh, this is a gloriously told story of agency and acceptance: a night of memories awaits those who take the leap and trust in Aladdin.