Disney's Aladdin Jr.

Get your tickets for a magical carpet ride to Agrabah ,where North Shore Theatre Company’s Aladdin JR is guaranteed to have you laughing, singing, and cheering along. The one-hour Disney adaptation is the story you know about a “diamond in the rough” street rat who learns his worth is within.  

Disney’s Aladdin JR is based on the 1992 film and the 2014 hit Broadway show of the same name - except the cast are all under 18 and the community has come out in droves to support its junior members. The foyer is abuzz with audience members calling out to each other, people congratulating each other on set building or behind the scenes work. There are costumed characters greeting patrons, posing for photos at the photo wall and props to engage all ages, while inside stray street urchins wander amongst the audience “stealing” seats in various places and interacting with those around them. 

We begin with the Genie leading us into the bright energetic Arabian Nights, which builds to its crescendo amongst the applause of a captive audience. This sets the tone for the night with an energetic cast up to the task. 

Aladdin (Nicholas Fleitas) and his three friends - Babkak (Brigid Brennan), Omar (Isabella Southey), and Kassim (Amira Clark) - down on their luck, are conning their way around the marketplace which is created by three Arabian buildings and colourful sails. Here we gain insight into our hero and witness his heart of gold, secretly longing to make his mother proud. Under the cheeky, confident scrapper who always seems to find himself in trouble, Aladdin had a wonderful vulnerability giving his “Proud of Your Boy” a beautiful, layered nuance and he certainly has some vocal chops as we see throughout the performance.   

Never fear Aladdin, you are about to uncover a magic lamp and a Genie who has the power to grant three wishes. Lucky, because by this stage young Aladdin has met and fallen for the princess - a feisty independent young lady played superbly by Sabelle Kotsis - after her attendants Isir (Sahara Nicholas), Manal (Ella Herdman), and Rajah (Willow Wawn) have encouraged her to sneak out of the palace, "These Palace Walls", where she feels trapped, and into Aladdin’s world. 

The Princess is set to choose a suitor and Aladdin wants to be such a person. Will he stay true to himself now he has 3 wishes under his hat? Enter fast-talking, fun-loving, scene-stealing wise cracker Genie, played by Percy Kay, who makes the iconic character their own, garnishing plenty of laughs and spontaneous cheers from the audience. While Aladdin and the Genie are busy singing and dancing to the musical favourite "Friend Like Me", Jafar (Joe Scott) plots with his sidekick Iago (Imogen Balestriere) to become Sultan by securing the Genie for himself. Jafar is the villain we love to hate with his dastardly deeds backfiring and his misplaced delusions of grandeur. They do a dastardly job with quips, asides and comic timing, gaining many laughs. Superb characterisation from both pulls off many key comedic moments as Jafaar is undone and The Sultan (Alex Kim) welcomes Aladdin into a Whole New World. 

Speaking of, I couldn’t leave this moment unvisited. A crowd pleaser is the ever popular "A Whole New World". Aladdin gains Jasmine's trust taking her on that famous magical carpet ride. The audience is always filled with anticipation to see how this classic is performed and I won’t spoil the surprise, but it is very pretty under the stars and worth waiting for.  

The creative team prove they are one jump ahead with Tim Martin capably at the helm. Martin has given the lamp a good polish and crafted a superb show, with great attention to detail, no laugh is missed, and each performer plays an important part, no doubt down to encouragement from Martin. Choreographers Kate Anthonisz and Elleirah Moon wow with an impressive cast synchronicity in the big numbers, a flawless kick line, and even surprise lifts and a touch of acro keeping the vibrancy of the show on high levels, while the vocalists are bright and shiny under MD Tali Greenfield, while Assistant Director Sarah Webster, who doubles as production manager, also deserves a shout out. 

Being a Disney classic, Aladdin JR will ensure all the family have a good night at the theatre. It was lovely to see a cast of all ages take the stage with even the youngest performers trusted with moments to shine. It will be equally enjoyed by all ages - there were certainly a lot of youngsters in the audience appreciating the show. At its conclusion, the crowd got to their feet for a well-deserved ovation, appreciating the cast who will no doubt be key players in theatre for years to come. Well done to everyone who left nothing behind and gave it their all, and to the entire crew and creatives behind the scenes - your hard work is evident, and it will pay off with this delightful production. 

Nicole Smith