Ayrshire: Largs Panto Aladdie was a soaring success

A flying carpet carrying Aladdie over the top of the cast. Not just any panto; a Largs Players one. And it was a truly soaring success with sell-out shows.

Having first trod the boards as Silly Billy almost 50 years ago no wonder today's ensemble seem so more youthful to me than ever before. An injection of the youth theatre kids lowered the age overall to the delight of the family audiences.

A tale older than time. Aladdie, played exuberantly by Thomas Sewell, went in search of the legendary lamp of Largsvegas - a mystical land, in an entertaining script customised by director Laura Edison.

Aladdie was a soaraway success (Image: Charlie GIlmour)

The use of colourful pyrotechnics, scooshing smoke and lights that zipped above and around the audience was timed to perfection in a fast-moving show.

Teenager Thomas was a very tall Aladdie with windmill arms who is surely set for a future role as Prince Charming. A fine debut.

Colourful display with lots of laughter (Image: Charlie Gilmour)

His Mammy was the experienced Maggie McMillan who wafted across the stage in cheeky Greenockian, dazzling style proclaiming her four magical words...'G and T please.'

Another young debutante was Leah Houston as Princess Jasmine. Having already starred as Anna in Frozen, she is an accomplished singer and, as all princesses should be, was very nice all night long!

Her sidekick was So Shy, played by Laura Newton, who has become a stalwart of local shows with good vocals and comedic talent.

Prime entertainment at Aladdie! (Image: Charlie Gilmour)

Incidentally, director Laura had to stand in as Fairy Liquid alongside Fiona Carruthers, who was fellow Fairy Lights. They shone.

Lest I run out of space, let me zoom in on the three stars of the show.

Some actors just "have it" and Danny Lindsay was the model Wishee Washee, full of funny gestures, expressions and that knack of relating to everyone. He could step into any professional panto.

The famous drink makes an appearance in panto (Image: Charlie Gilmour)

Speaking of pros, step forward Lauren Beckwith as the Genie. This lady is new to Largs but has performed all over the UK and abroad as a cabaret artiste, and it showed. Lauren not only has a belter of a singing voice she glows on stage. A real big find for little Largs.

Stephanie Caldwell has returned to the Players as the classic baddie Abanazar. Pint-sized she may be but her glamour and projection was expansive in her jousts with the booing punters.

Abanazar's dopey duo, Tuesday (Cormac Cameron-Linn) and Wednesday (Kate McCalman) were suitably daft - and sound singers.

Laura Edison is the creative brain behind the pantomime (Image: Charlie GIlmour)

Talking of daft, we also had veteran Wullie Mullen as the bottle of Prime - or was it Buckie? - in an engaging comedy role.

At five years old you would be forgiven for thinking that Bella Edison - daughter of director Laura - was making her debut, but it's her third show! Along with Carla Blair they were the cute little monkeys, Bibi and Boo Boo, who earned lots of oohs and aahs from the audience.

Musical director Sofia Kherroubi Garcia made her debut too, with band members Cerys Reading, Chris Whitehouse, Stuart McArthur and Tom Ashford and young local choreographer Daisy Wilson.

Ladies of Pantoland were Lynne Cameron-Finn, Julie Teaz, Alison Goldie, Fiona Carruthers, Christine Spitoni and Dot Gosling who also played the Queen.

The Teens were Autumn Tweedie, Erin Connick, Kate Shelley, Anna Withers, Jacquelyn Teaz and Theo Barker, with the Pantoland children, Grace Craigmile, Nuala Cameron-Finn, Sofia Hussain, Tara Lin-Moran, Morgan Bryson-Meehan, Sol Henderson, Ben Cowin, Zac Lewis, Maya Bryson-Meehan and Rebecca Wood.

Hugh Douglas was stage manager in charge of the impressive Phoenix Flying magic carpet, with David Gorry of DAG Lighting, and Hugh Harris on sound.

Players Panto was in well tuned! (Image: Charlie Gilmour)

Two postscripts: Well done on using the adjectives of fat, stinky, bald and ugly in this PC age; but, why the need, in a family show, for a character to tell us that the Tories steal from the poor. Unnecessary. Or was it the one gag I missed?

Thanks to Charlie Gilmour for the photos.