Magical Aladdin gets a Curtain Call

THE panto season is in full swing and the town’s newest theatre group is staging its debut festive show this month at the Raven Theatre, the town’s largest theatre situated in the grounds of Cedars School, Linslade.

Curtain Call Theatre Group and its youth theatre section, will be showcasing their maiden pantomime Aladdin and the LBO has teamed up with the producers to give away four family tickets to any performance for this dazzling family spectacular which runs from January 27 to 29.

This adaptation of the classic Christmas show has been especially written by CC’s founder, Gavyn Lugsden and he’s promising an unforgettable night of fun for all the family.

Gavyn, who also plays the Dame, Widow Twanky, promises that this is the traditional story of Aladdin but with some local ‘twists’. The hero takes his true love far from Peking to a distant town - Leighton Buzzard - when the evil Abanazar finally tricks the Princess Jasmine in swapping the priceless lamp for a shiny new one (with a plug and a low energy light bulb)! They hide away in the town but, with the aid from the Genie of the Ring, Aladdin manages to retrieve the lamp while Abanazar is on the Narrow Gauge Railway!

The show includes a fantastic washing machine where Wishee Washee accidentally falls in and comes out half his size! Then Widow Twanky has a go and is replaced with a small version of her... But do not fear, as with all good launderettes, there’s a stretching machine to get them back to their own size!

The panto also includes four Chinese policemen led by Sargent Pong Ping, who are rather useless at policing... His constables are Chop Stick, Chop Chop and the very silly Ping Pong. The four police parts are played by children from the Youth Theatre.

Watch out for Widow Twanky’s bucket song as there will be lots of treats and surprises in store.

Toe-tapping songs throughout, plenty of laughs for the kids and a hand full of innuendo for the older ones...!

The most exhilarating part if the show will be the fantastic flying scene, where the audience will join Aladdin and the Princess Jasmine on an breathtaking magic carpet ride.

Raffles held during the intervals will be supporting Parkinsons UK and Kids Out charities.

Show dates are January 27 to 29. Fridays performance will start at 7.30pm, Saturdays at 2.00pm and 6.30pm and the Sundays at 2.00pm.

For tickets and prices call 01525 220525, or eTickets can be purchased by a major credit/debit cards via the website www.curtaincalltheatregroup.co.uk

*TO win a free family ticket just tell us the name of the panto being staged by Curtain Call. Send your entries, complete with name and full contact details, to [email protected], drop them into our dead letter box in Dillamores, Leighton High Street, or post to “Panto Competition”, Leighton Buzzard Observer, Media House, 39 Upper George Street, Luton, Beds, LU1 2RD. Entries must be received by next Tuesday, January 17.