Aladdin The Musical Relaxed Performance – 2017 Review

Archive review: This is my original 2017 experience of a National Autistic Society relaxed performance of Disney’s Aladdin The Musical at the Prince Edward Theatre. I’ve kept the production, cast and accessibility experience as part of the Clarissa’s Corner theatre archive. This is historical coverage, not current booking or access information.

Getting to Aladdin

We had booked Aladdin after our previous trip to see Mamma Mia, and I had been looking forward to this one for ages.

Getting there was the first challenge. Works around Waterloo meant our journey became a bit of a mission and we ended up using buses instead. By the time we had done the journey there and back, we had taken six buses in total and spent well over an hour travelling.

I still loved arriving in the West End, though. There is something special about seeing a theatre lit up with the current production, and I even did a little theatre spotting on the way because so many venues are close together.

About the 2017 West End Production

Aladdin The Musical was playing at the Prince Edward Theatre, based on Disney’s 1992 animated film. The stage musical had opened on Broadway in March 2014.

For our performance, the principal cast included Matthew Croke as Aladdin, Jade Ewen as Jasmine, Don Gallagher as Jafar and Trevor Dion Nicholas as Genie.

The Relaxed Performance

The National Autistic Society had arranged a relaxed performance of the show. One of the things I liked was that the principal cast came onto the stage beforehand and introduced themselves and the characters they played.

That kind of preparation can make a huge difference when you are attending with someone who may find an unfamiliar theatre environment difficult.

And then, unexpectedly, the fire alarm went off.

It was accidental and nothing serious, but the auditorium had to be evacuated. KK found it very hard to stay calm, and she wasn’t the only person struggling with the sudden disruption.

I was really grateful for how the theatre team, the National Autistic Society and the Disney team handled the situation. Even though it was stressful, they kept everyone safe and supported people through something nobody had planned for.

Staging and Costumes

The stage was immediately eye-catching, with warm orange and sandstone tones that created the feel of Agrabah. The costumes were bedazzling and definitely princess-worthy.

Jasmine, Aladdin and Jafar

Jade Ewen played Jasmine, and while I enjoyed her performance, I would have liked to see a little more sass in the character. In the animated film, Jasmine has that strong feeling of someone you really would not mess with, and I wanted a bit more of that on stage.

Matthew Croke’s Aladdin was sweet and energetic, and I enjoyed the physical side of his performance — the climbing, jumping and choreography all helped bring the character to life.

Don Gallagher’s Jafar worked well for me too, although I would happily have taken him even darker in both appearance and delivery.

Genie and the Robin Williams Problem

Genie was always going to be the difficult one for me.

Robin Williams was such a huge part of Aladdin growing up. He brought so much energy to the animated Genie, and he was one of my idols, so I went into the musical wondering whether anyone could possibly live up to that version in my head.

Trevor Dion Nicholas didn’t try to be Robin Williams. His Genie was fun, bubbly and full of passion, and I thought he brought a huge amount of personality to the role in his own way.

The Magic Carpet — and Where Were Abu and Rajah?

The magic carpet scene was one of my favourite moments. It looked magical and was one of those scenes that really made the stage version feel special.

But I have to say it: I was genuinely disappointed that Abu and Rajah weren’t included.

What’s Aladdin without them?

I know a stage adaptation cannot reproduce every detail of an animated film, but their absence really stood out to me and stopped this from being a full-marks show.

Clarissa’s Review

Overall, I really enjoyed Aladdin The Musical. The staging was impressive, the cast worked well, the relaxed-performance setup was thoughtful and the show still had plenty of Disney magic.

For me, the missing Abu and Rajah mattered, but not enough to stop me recommending the production.

My original rating: 4/5 stars.

Accessibility

This article records our experience of a specific relaxed performance in 2017. Relaxed performances, access arrangements and venue facilities can change, so this should not be used as current accessibility guidance.

What is worth preserving is what happened on the day: advance preparation helped, the cast introductions gave useful context, and when the unexpected fire alarm caused distress, staff and support teams responded calmly and kept everyone safe.

More Theatre on Clarissa’s Corner

You can also read my Mamma Mia archive post and browse more theatre reviews and accessibility experiences across Clarissa’s Corner.