This show features all members of the Jane Mackinnon School of Dance, but the main characters are as follows:-

Scheherazade, the King's storyteller, has to entertain him by telling a different story each day. Today she chooses the story of Aladdin, a street urchin who lives off his wits with his faithful monkey, Abu. One day he follows a royal procession and meets the beautiful Princess Jasmine, it is love at first sight, but they both know that they are worlds apart and reluctantly go their separate ways. Aladdin and Abu bump into Jafar and his evil sidekicks and are enticed into a nearby cave to find what appears to be a rather tatty old lamp for Jafar who bribes Aladdin with the gift of a very large ruby ring.

Jasmine in the meantime must choose a husband from the suitors selected for her by her father, needless to say they are all full of their own self importance and not at all attractive to poor Jasmine.

Inside the cave Aladdin and Abu find all manner of weird and wonderful things, from amazing jewels and their protectors, to a magic carpet who shows them how to awaken the genie of Jafar's ring, the beautiful genie then finds the lamp that Jafar desires at the foot of a plinth where the most beautiful jewel of all sits. The sign by this jewel says "DO NOT TOUCH" but Abu can't resist and takes it. The whole cave begins to collapse but they manage to escape just in time, they fall out of the cave bruised and dirty, and when Aladdin wipes the dusty lamp clean, low and behold another, yet more powerful genie appears. Aladdin and his friends ask the genie to make him into a prince. The genie summons the royal dressers who dress him as a prince and lead him to the royal palace where he and Jasmine are reunited. In his excitement Aladdin forgets to take the lamp with him, Jafars sidekicks find it and take it to Jafar who in turn summons the genie, demanding that Aladdin be condemned to prison and Jasmine become his obedient servant. Abu and the genie of the ring witness all this and creep back into the palace and steal back the lamp, returning it to Aladdin in the prison.

Once again Aladdin becomes the prince and Jasmine is free to marry him. Everyone rejoices and in celebration all genies are released from their bonds forever.

For photographs of the cast, click here

For CWPhotos photo albums of rehearsals and performances, click here.

The charities which will receive donations from the proceeds of this show are The Countess Mountbatten Hospice (in memory of Mary Egerton), and The Hannah Foster Appeal.

Aladdin's Arabian Adventures are based on one of the stories included in the '1001 Arabian Nights'

The History of 'The Nights'

The early history of the tales contained in the Nights is shrouded in the mists of time. The tales originated from Indian, Persian and Chinese travellers who travelled the Chinese silk route, which extended from northern China to the Middle East and Egypt. These travellers would find respite and hospitality in caravanserais, where they would tell stories to entertain each other.

The stories are set in Arabia where King Shahriyar had become disgruntled with the unfaithfulness of women, and vowed to have a new wife each night. Each was to be executed the following morning. Shahrazad, when her turn came, enacted a clever plan. Each night her sister Dunyzad would come into their room and request a story. The King became so entranced by Shahrazad's stories that he would long to hear the conclusion of each one; and night after night Shahrazad would leave him in suspense, thus earning herself a further stay of execution.

The name SCHEHERAZADE or SHEHERAZADE comes from the Arabic 'SHAHRAZAD' which means "person of the city" from the Persian elements shahr "city" and zad "person".

For the story of Aladdin, click here.

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