West End and Emmerdale star Tom Lister plays Abanazar in the enchanting family pantomime Aladdin at the Theatre Royal this Christmas, alongside Bath favourite Jon Monie as Wishee Washee and EastEnders’ Nick Wilton as Dame Widow Twankey. Staged by UK Productions for the 2022 festive season, this truly traditional family show appears at the Theatre Royal Bath from Thursday 8 December to Sunday 8 January.
Guaranteed to entertain both the young and the young at heart, Aladdin features a brand-new joke-filled script, penned by Bath’s own all-round panto legend Jon Monie. One of the most popular pantomimes of all, the thrilling story of a boy, a lamp and a genie has kept audiences spell-bound for generations. Families visiting the Theatre Royal this Christmas can look forward to a fun-packed performance full of side-splitting comedy, singing, dancing, slapstick, dazzling special effects, beautiful costumes and plenty of audience participation.
Producer of the pantomime, Martin Dodd, said: “Aladdin is one of the best, most beloved stories and it offers a great take on the idea of achieving your dreams. It’s colourful and bright and, with a new script, there are plenty of surprises in store.”
Award-winning panto baddie Tom Lister stars as one of theatre’s favourite villains, Abanazar. Tom is well known on television as Carl King, a role he played for nine years in Emmerdale before making a dramatic exit in 2012. His screen credits also include Doctors, Heartbeat, The Bill and The Doll Maker. When he played Captain Hook, Tom won Best Villain at the Great British Pantomime Awards in 2017; a role he reprised in 2021 at Malvern Theatres in The Further Adventures of Peter Pan: The Return of Captain Hook, written by Jon Monie. In the West End, Tom starred in the lead role in a critically acclaimed production of 42nd Street at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane; the musical ran for two years and was shown in cinemas nationwide in 2019. On stage, he has also starred as Wild Bill in Calamity Jane on UK tour, including Bath’s Theatre Royal in 2015; and starred in Legally Blonde in South Korea and Water Babies at Leicester’s Curve.
Tom Lister said: “Playing the villain is great because the audience boo you every time you come on and I like to get a nice little mix between the children hating you whilst not terrifying them. You turn the comedy up as much as you can, so even though they hate you coming on they also love it because of the silliness and laughter that ensues.”
Pantomime favourite Jon Monie – who has also written this year’s show Aladdin - returns by popular demand to play Wishee Washee. Jon first appeared in Bath’s celebrated pantomimes in 1996 and has now performed at the Theatre Royal well over 1,100 times. This Christmas marks his 20th panto season in his home city. Pantomimes penned by Jon are staged in theatres nationwide, produced by UK Productions. He also wrote Bath’s 2021 pantomime Cinderella and starred as Buttons. His panto Beauty and the Beast, which played Bath in 2019/2020, starring Jon in the role of Louis La Plonk, won Best Script at the Great British Pantomime Awards. An actor, television presenter, award-winning writer and comedian, Jon has recently been seen on our screens in The Nevers for HBO/Sky, Moominvalley for Sky and BBC’s The Outlaws and Showtrial.
Having written the show, as well as starring in it, Jon Monie said: “There are lots of new jokes. There’s been so much going on in the news this year that it’s a gift for comedy writers. There are references galore and hopefully we’ll put a smile on people’s faces whether they’re eight, 18 or 80.”
Nick Wilton makes a welcome return to Bath to play Widow Twankey. One of the best Dames in the business, Nick has starred in the iconic pantomime role in theatres across the UK since 2000. He has previously delighted Bath audiences as Polly La Plonk in Beauty and the Beast in 2019, Nursie in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 2017, Widow Twankey in Aladdin in 2016 and Dame Trott in Jack and the Beanstalk in 2015. On television, Nick has played Market Inspector Mr Lister as a series regular in EastEnders since 2008. His screen credits also include Carrott’s Lib, Heartbeat, Doc Martin, The Bill, Casualty and the children’s show Big Meg, Little Meg.
Nick Wilton said: “I love the fact that as always in Bath it’s very much a theatre panto, it’s traditional and very story-led, and there’s always a wonderful and warm atmosphere at the Theatre Royal.”
The cast for Aladdin also features Alex Aram as Aladdin, Kaysha Nada as Princess Jasmine, Amy Perry as Spirit of the Ring and Maddison Tyson as the Genie. Playing the role of Emperor, Michael Chance returns to Bath after playing Baron Hardup at the Theatre Royal last year in Cinderella. Alongside the company of professional actors, this year’s pantomime features the delightful young dancers from Bath’s Dorothy Coleborn School of Dance.
Pantomime has been an essential part of the programming mix in Bath for over 200 years. In November 1815, ten years after the Theatre Royal opened at Bath’s Sawclose, the famous Joseph Grimaldi played the clown in Mother Goose. The following century pantomimes produced by the Maddox family, who took over management in 1937, put Bath on the panto map again. Aladdin is produced by Martin Dodd’s UK Productions, who return to entertain West Country audiences for the twenty-fifth year with their 2022 show created by writer Jon Monie, director Hannah Sharkey, choreographer Mitchell Harper and musical director Joshua Newport - the team behind 2021’s unanimously acclaimed pantomime Cinderella.
Aladdin appears at the Theatre Royal Bath from Thursday 8 December 2022 to Sunday 8 January 2023. Tickets are on sale at the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on +44 (0)1225 448844 and online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk.
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