News Summary

• This year’s Cork Opera House pantomime creates an appropriately mysterious, magical atmosphere of joyous expectation.
• It lifts all the high points from the ancient Aladdin fable with ruthless narrative economy.
• All the famed dramatic elements are here, from magical commands such as “Open sesame!” to the stolen, found, restolen and recovered lamp.
• The sorcerer Abanazar, who smoothly identifies himself as a member of the Ming dynasty, seems to be the only one in the fantasy who knows where this overloaded express is going.