“Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp”, a stage adaptation of a fairy-tale classic, is headed for The Globe at Suncoast.
“Aladdin” is a classic rags-to-riches tale with a young hero, a beautiful princess and an evil villain, and is made complete with genies, wishes and magic. The story is one of the best-known and most retold fairy tales of all time.
Durban's own Astrid Productions is bringing to South African theatre stages a revitalised and epic telling of this classic.
Based on an original text by producer Anjil Naidoo, “Aladdin” has been reimagined for the stage by an international team of award-winning theatre artists. It has a cast of 20 of South Africa’s young and established actors and dancers.
Glenn Hayden (director and dramaturge), Lakhinandan Boruah (playwright), Pranashan Singh (composer), Bertwin D'Souza and Shampa GopiKrishna (choreographers) and Shrivastava (projection mapper) have joined with Astrid Productions to stage the production from September 29 to October 9.
Naidoo, the founder of Astrid Productions, said she was inspired to write the production during the Covid-19 lockdown.
“I found myself recovering from surgery, following battling a life-threatening illness. I was at home, immobile and in need of an escape. I decided to write a story for my granddaughter and was initially captivated by the idea of adapting ‘Aladdin’ from ‘1001 Arabian Nights’.
“The reason for choosing ‘Aladdin’ was because for me it tells the story about how it does not matter where someone comes from. It matters what they do. What’s important is their mind, heart and sense of hope.
“The potential to overcome any obstacle lies within the strength of the magic that is within all of us. ‘Aladdin’ is a story about someone who comes from nothing but boldly chooses to not accept the hand he was dealt.
"There are many adaptions of the classic tale, but for me, it was important to have one I could offer as a gift to my granddaughter. The process of sharing this special moment with her made me immensely aware of the power of the story. This sparked my desire to bring it alive on stage, with all the mysticism, magic, colour, hilarity and heart that it deserves.”
Naidoo said the production would bring together an array of international theatre experts, with a cast of performers mostly from South Africa and many from Durban.
“Understanding how hard times have been for the performing arts, we felt a responsibility to be a force that breathes new life into such an important industry. We live in a country blessed with talent and we cannot wait to remind audiences of the magic that lies within us all.
“We have a cast of 20 of South Africa’s best young and established actors and dancers. Supporting our leads are the likes of Belinda Henwood, Rowan Bartlett, Darren King, Tshediso Kabulu and Sanele Sibiya.”
The role of Aladdin is played by Vash Singh.
“Vash is a Johannesburg-born and Cape Town-bred actor. Through a diverse career he has taken on a range of roles on both screen and stage. This includes his portrayal of an alien orc loyalist in the sci-fi series ‘Vagrant Queen’ as well as his appearance in the musical comedy-drama ‘Bhai's Café’, which premiered at the Durban International Film Festival in 2019. His enigmatic charm and charisma make him perfect for the role of Aladdin,” said Naidoo.
The role of Princess Almas will be played by Yasmin Hankel.
“Yasmin, a Capetonian by choice, is a German actress working in theatre, film and voice-over productions. On stage, Yasmin has played roles from Shakespeare’s fairy queen Titania in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, to defence counsel Biegler in the African premiere of the international worldwide interactive theatre success ‘Terror’ by Ferdinand von Schirach.
“Yasmin formally trained with Tamryn Speirs, Alison Hofer and Liese Kuhn at ACT Cape Town. Her vocal coaches include Robyn Scott and Alison Hofer. Yasmin’s character in real life exemplifies so many of the qualities one would associate with a beautiful princess. She is poised, professional, beautiful and exceptionally talented. All of these qualities and more make her perfect for the role,” she said.
Based on Naidoo’s own original text, the production has been reimagined for the stage by an international team of award-winning theatre artists.
“We are so privileged to have secured the talent that we have for ‘Aladdin’. Director Glenn Hayden brings his decades of experience to the production. Glenn has more than 50 productions under his belt and has worked on stages from Australia and Mumbai to South Africa.
“There is also Bertwin D’Souza and Shampa GopiKrishna. Bertwin is an internationally acclaimed choreographer who headed choreography for India’s ‘So You Think You Can Dance’. He has also worked on an array of dances for popular hit songs and blockbuster films. Shampa is a highly sought-after dancer and celebrity choreographer who has worked with some of the industry’s biggest names.”
Naidoo said ‘Aladdin’ was a live theatre production that brought a variety of elements to the stage, including acting and dancing.
“Our show is filled with magic, mysticism, colour, hilarity and heart for the whole family.”
The production will run at The Globe before moving to Johannesburg in November and early December and finally ending the run in Cape Town for the festive season. Tickets are available at Ticketpros.co.za
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