Review: Colour, chaos and kazoos - Shrewsbury College’s Aladdin dazzles at the Edge
Shrewsbury College’s spirited production of Aladdin burst into the Edge Arts Centre this weekend with all the noise, nonsense and glorious mayhem that a proper family panto demands.
From the vibrant opening number - complete with a clever “P-A-N-T-O-G-O” riff in the style of Chappell Roan - it was clear this was a production full of confidence, colour and comic invention.
At the heart of the show was a hugely likeable Aladdin, played with warmth, energy and an easy stage confidence that made him a hero the audience could truly root for. His journey from wide-eyed laundry lad to slightly misguided rich boy and back again was handled with charm and sincerity, earning generous applause throughout. Alongside him, Wishy Washy proved an absolute triumph, building an incredible rapport with the audience with his natural instinct for panto mischief. Widow Twanky’s Launderette provided a riotous backdrop, with the larger-than-life Widow herself stealing the show through sheer theatrical magnetism and traditional drag flamboyance, while Abanazer and his minions drew thunderous boos at every turn.
As the story unfolded, the stakes and the silliness were raised in equal measure, with a rhyming kazoo orchestra, water-pistol brandishing palace guards, and a standout “If I Were Not in Pantomime” number that had the entire auditorium clapping along. The fact that the cast and crew are all 16 to 18-year-old students only added to the sense of achievement, as they handled choreography, comedy, lighting, sound, and audience interaction with impressive assurance.
A joyful happy ending, complete with a slow-motion underwear fight, a full-company song-and-dance finale and a rapturous curtain call, confirmed this Aladdin as a joyous, laugh-out-loud success - and a wonderful way to support the Wenlock Olympian Society’s running track appeal.
The new Edge Arts Centre January – March 2026 brochure is out now and can be downloaded at edgeartscentre.com
