Magical Aladdin is best panto in years

Aladdin, Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton,

Great news from the Grand; Biggins is brilliant, Paul Zerdin is zensational - and Aladdin is a laugh out loud triumph.

And that's before we even get to state-of-the art 3D effects that will have you squirming and swerving in your seat.

The boos, hissing and the "he's behind you" moments are there in abundance, but it's the modern tweaks done with imagination that make this production of Aladdin the best panto the Grand has seen for years.

Topping off the magical cast were the spellbinding 3D effects that had children squealing with delight and adults feeling foolish as they swerved to avoid the imaginary nasties hurling towards them.

Set in the deserts of Arabia and the streets of Peking, the customary local references such as Wagner, the M6 Toll, the new Wolverhampton bus station and Wolves' chances of winning the FA Cup were crowd-pleasers — along with gags poking Simon Cowell and panto rival Joan Collins.

James Barron as evil wizard Abananzar is the consummate villain, creating a bumbling brute of a baddie, winning boos galore and just about managing to keep a straight face as Biggins milked the laughs.

Multi-talented Zerdin rivalled Dame Christopher in the comedy stakes, bringing the house down time after time as Aladdin.

Together with his cute'n'cheeky sidekick Sam and — uh,oh! — a talking baby, he had the audience in stitches, bringing ventriloquism bang up to date with an inspired string of set-pieces.

Instantly likeable, the star shone in the Royal Variety Performance and it's easy to see why he was such a hit.

A master at his craft, he made for a brilliant principal boy, charming the crowd from the outset and raising plenty of belly laughs throughout.

Interspersing the script with sections from his own act to hilarious effect, he poked harmless fun at the crowd and free-wheeled his way through the audience participation, with the second half a particular scream.

(To Roy from Walsall in the front row — you were a really good sport!)

Oh, and watch out for Sam serenading the princess — a really cute and clever moment that sparked a chorus of "aahhs".

No panto of course would be complete without a magnificent dame, and Biggins showed just why he is simply the best in the business.

Universally loved by the young and young at heart, his Widow Twankey was endearing in his familiar style of making it seem like an old friend is back in town.

His entrance in a rickshaw complete with immobiliser (cue Heath Town joke) was greeted with a chorus of cheers, and it's clear to see Biggins loves being on stage as much as people love watching him.

Blessed with a natural ease and beaming smile that makes audiences instantly warm to him, he sang songs, rattled off gags and flitted around in a series of splendidly ridiculous outfits while dropping in the odd cheeky line for the grown-ups.

His Strictly Come Dancing scene with Abananzar was priceless, as was his effortless interaction with the audience, in particular the kids.

The set and costumes were excellent too, and a brief appearance by TV's Churchill the dog went down well — oh yes!

But the biggest surprise though was undoubtedly the 3D, which wouldn't have been out of place in a Disney themepark and lifted this year's panto onto another level of entertainment. A magical ingredient indeed, it was a joy to see hundreds of pairs of hands reach out to 'grab' the genie's lamp or a floating chocolate bar.

Good old-fashioned feelgood family entertainment that, unlike so many of its kind these days, avoids the trap of too much adult humour and remembers what panto is all about — the kids.

Overall, this top class production raises the bar on previous shows and would put a smile on the most miserable face.

A great night out, guranteed — don't miss it!

* Aladdin runs Runs until January 30.