Date of Visit: December 2025
For around the last fifteen years, I have paid a visit to the seasonal Christmas Pantomime at the Anvil Theatre in Basingstoke, and this year was no different.
My brother and I decided to book tickets once again to see this year’s production of Aladdin, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. After watching last years dire performance of Sleeping Beauty, I was pleasantly surprised and blow away by the writing and overall production.
SYNOPSIS:
The Pantomime story of Aladdin, unlike the Disney production, is set in China and has Chinese influences throughout, with the costumes and sets taking on Chinese design.
The story follows Aladdin, a poor boy from the village whose family runs the local laundrette. He falls in love with Princess Jasmine and, through the use of a magical lamp, transforms into a rich prince to be able to be with Jasmine. However, things don’t go quite to plan as the evil Abanazer wants the magical lamp to become the most powerful person across the village.
THEATRE EXPERIENCE:
After looking around the shops in Basingstoke, my brother and I decided to head into the Anvil around 45 minutes before the performance time of 2 pm.
Across the theatre, there was a number of bars, hot and cold food kiosks, and merchandise stands, even including a magic carpet photo opportunity.
We decided to head upstairs to the Dress Circle bar and got a couple of pints of Pepsi Max and a programme which in total came to around £13, which I did think was a little expensive for a local theatre but obviously was much cheaper than you’d find in the West End.
They also had a variety of themed cocktails on sale too, which looked reasonable priced and sounded pretty good.
SHOW REVIEW:
Every year, The Anvil, alongside UK Productions, puts on its annual Pantomime, and for around the last fifteen years, my family and I have attended. This year was no different as I took my brother and me once again.
Aladdin is a fun, feel-good Pantomime that takes us on a fairytale adventure full of comedic gags, well-known music, and songs alongside a few famous faces.
However, I was very apprehensive to go and see this year’s Pantomime after watching a very poor production of Sleeping Beauty the year before. Which was in my opponion, some of the worst theatre I had ever seen.
I’m pleased to say that this year was very different, and I was absolutely blown away by the staging, costumes, script, and choice of music throughout.
The staging design is always impressive with every Pantomime at the Anvil, and this year was no different. A particularly impressive moment was the use of special effects and lighting to create the illusion of the magic carpet taking flight. I thought this was really impressive for a local pantomime.
The use of music I also thought was impressive in this production and included a mix of genres, including songs from musical theatre, The Monkeys, K Pop Demon Hunters, ABBA, Ed Sheeran, as well as the lava chicken song from the Minecraft movie. There really was something for someone of any age.
I particularly loved the finale scene, which included a wide range of club & dance music from the 90’s and early 00’s. This made a change from previous years where pop music is usually used.
Another positive of this production was the cast. Over the last ten years, the annual Pantomime has been directed by and stared Chris Pizzey, known for the Basil Brush show as well as appearances in Dr Who, Eastenders, and more. Every year, Chris brings humour and fun to the production, and he was exceptional in his role of Wishee Washee.
This year also saw the return of Nic Gibney, who also stared in last years production as the Dame. He was also incredible as Widow Twankey and brought humour and laughs to the production alongside Wishee Washee.
James Mackenzie, known for the CBBC show Raven, was also incredible in his role as the evil Abanazer and brought humour, impressive vocals, and even the use of magic tricks and illusions.
The rest of the cast were equally impressive, such as Kian Zomorodian as Aladdin, Natasha Cayabyab as Princess Jasmine, and Jessica Ncube as the Giene all having amazing vocal ability.
CONCLUSION & SUMMARY:
To conclude, this production was a much needed improvement on the year before, and I was highly impressed with the cast, vocals, and overall use of music and staging.
Unfortunately this production of Aladdin is now closed however I highly recommend if anyone is in the Basingstoke area next Christmas to go and see the annual Pantomime at the Anvil, there really isn’t a bad seat in the house and tickets are affordable.
I rate this production ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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