★★★★★ Aladdin: A whole new world of pantomime at the Lyceum!

Members of the company in Aladdin. Photo by Pamela Raith.

I can show you the world - shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me, reader, now when did you last visit the panto?

Every year, the Lyceum is visited by Christmas fairies known as Evolution Productions. They wave their magical wands and give Sheffield the gift of an annual pantomime. This year, we got the Arabian sparkles of Aladdin. 

Sticking generally to the original story, Aladdin (played by Sario Solomon) tries to rise in the ranks of society in order to marry the girl of his dreams, Princess Jasmine (played by Lauren Chia). Instead of a Jafar, we have Ivan Tochacha (Strictly legend, Kevin Clifton) trying to seize power, steal Jasmine, and command Evie Pickerill’s Spirit of the Ring and Elliot Broadfoot’s Genie. Instead of Arabian Nights, however, we have the backdrop of the Born to Pun joke shop and suburbs of Attercliffe in Sheffield.

The ancient lands of The Moor were beautifully rendered with extravagant, luxurious sets, built up and covered in glitter, the shiny props, and the stunning costumes. Every detail felt intentional and extremely pleasant to look at. 

And we cannot talk about costumes without discussing Dame Dolly’s iconic outfits, donned every year by comedy legend, Damian Williams. Each outfit change became more outlandish than the last. It is an interesting time trying to see how the sponsor of the pantomime will be incorporated into the costume. As this year’s sponsor was Béres, what else would Dame Dolly be but the classic pork sandwich? Nothing can beat his bikini though, which had the entire theatre in hysterics.

From an ensemble of mummies, life-sized elephants, to flash bangs and Sario Solomon soaring over the stalls on his magic carpet, the production went all-out this year with their effects and crafts. Having seen a few of the previous pantomimes, I have to say this one takes the cake - I laughed harder than ever, and was in awe. 

No Sheffield panto is complete without the infectious energy of James Harrison. Warming up the audience with Christmas music, taking part in the show, and taking the stage by show with his musical number, both children and adults alike were delighted to see him. 

Alongside James’ enthusiasm, the cast did a good job with audience interaction, from shouting and water guns, to Dolly’s Spotlight of Love putting a lucky dad on the spot to participate more than the rest. 

As always, the references to different areas of Yorkshire, as well as specifics to Sheffield, helped the show feel more local and amusing. 

The show was a laugh for adults and children alike - referencing online trends like 67 and skibidi rizz for the children to understand and adults to laugh at the silliness of. There were even mishaps with props that seemed unintentional, but made the show all the more hilarious. The laughter and joy in performing the show was radiating off the entire crew.

Every year, the shows get better and more lavish, and this year was, in my opinion, the best in terms of visuals and comedy. It makes me more excited for next year’s, where we’ll see Damian Williams with a sister in Cinderella.

Running at the Lyceum until Sunday 4th January 2026, you can still get your tickets for Aladdin here.