What a joy to see this wonderful panto, performed by all ages to a welcoming audience of parents, family and friends. The young people made the most of every part, from the cheeky Aladdin and the wicked Abanazar, to the polished dancers and the youngest member of the ensemble; not forgetting the large team of backstage helpers. The script simply zipped along, with sparkling dialogue heard throughout the large Medina Theatre without microphones; and well-chosen songs gave further opportunities to shine.

Fun and laughter went hand in hand, with narrators Pip and Huxley adeptly and comedically narrating the tale of poor Aladdin and his quest for the rich Princess Lotus. Aladdin, played by Tilly was confident, clear, and kept the pace up, including leading with confidence the many chase sequences, ably pursued by PCs Plod and Percy played by Ann and Joe. The traditional baddie, gaining plenty of boo’s and wowing with their rendition of Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ was Eliza as Abanazar. She commanded the stage, being completely believable as the power-hungry despot, willing to go to any lengths to gain the lamp and its resident genie (Delphi). The lovely princess (Ruby) was graceful and smart, with a lovely singing voice; and she shared great comic timing with her ‘handmaidens’ – Left Hand, Red Right, Mean Back Hand, Hani-Sani and Jazz Hands: special mention goes to Amelia as Jazz Hands for stopping the show each time she performed her signature move!

Also providing solid humorous passages were Aladdin’s brother Wishee Washee, who cleverly improvised with style to cover a late cast entrance; and their mother Widow Twankee – played very well at short notice by Summer with no rehearsal time at all. Sadly, sickness had taken its toll on the cast and whilst we sadly had to miss the performance of Amber, Summer really stepped up, from backstage to main part in one afternoon! Another late cast change was not noticed by the luminous performances of Ted and Samuel who combined their henchmen roles as Pick and Mix with energetic and chaotic action whilst juggling errant fez hats. The Emperor (Violet) is one to watch – she had a splendid regal bearing and showed great potential with her natural handling of the dialogue. Strong performances were also given by the Emperor’s courtiers Too Shy Shy (Ben) and Hush Hush (Theo), with adults of a certain age sniggering nostalgically at the Kajagoogoo joke. The Spirit of the Ring (Ophelia) also drove the plot forward, with well presented dialogue and a confidently performed solo song.

The creative team had certainly done a fantastic job with this pantomime: directors Mr Lynch and Mr Fry had shaped an energetic and easy to follow show, adding school-specific jokes to the strong script, and guiding the performers to excellence – giving every performer a line or two to call their own. As always with Priory School, the costumes by Mrs Tate were fantastic and the overall feel was one of warmth and happiness. I certainly smiled and laughed through the whole thing – a splendid showcase for the youngsters and a good start to the Christmas season.