This ITV pantomime, produced by Rediffusion for £30,000, aired on Christmas Day 1967. Cliff Richard starred in the title role. He was accompanied by his backing group, The Shadows, with Arthur Askey as Widow Twankey and 19-year-old newcomer Vanessa Howard as the Princess in her first TV role.
The large cast was assisted by The Mike Sammes Singers and The Pamela Devis Dancers.
Aladdin (Cliff) sets out to see the princess’s face as she passes by, even though there is a death penalty for doing so.
He meets the princess and is instantly smitten, but the police (played by the acrobatic troupe The Maljons) spot him and chase him away. Trying to hide from the police, Aladdin encounters his uncle Abanazar (Alan Curtis), who agrees to hide Aladdin in a secret cave. This is a ruse, however, to open a magic cave where a magic lamp and various treasures are hidden. Aladdin ends up trapped in the cave.
Finding the magic lamp, Aladdin brings forth a Genie who has been the slave of the lamp (David Davenport), who grants his wishes and takes him away from the magic cave with all the treasure.
Aladdin and the Princess are duly married, but Abanazar kidnaps her (and also takes the magic lamp). Aladdin summons the Genie of the Ring (Katherina Holden), who helps find the missing princess with the aid of a magic flying carpet.
The princess warns that Abanazar can paralyze Aladdin simply by looking at him. Returning to the Genie of the Ring, Aladdin asks her to enchant a mirror to reflect an evil spell instead of an image.
Using the magic mirror, Aladdin defeats Abanazar, and they are all transported back to Peking by the Genie.
Cliff and The Shads (and Arthur Askey) had already performed the panto in a long-running season at the London Palladium from December 1964 to April 1965.
A subsequent album – Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp – had spent five weeks in the Top 20 and included the single I Could Easily Fall (In Love With You) – written by the band for the Palladium panto – which reached #6 in the charts. The soundtrack LP also provided The Shadows’ single Genie with the Light Brown Lamp.
Aladdin
Cliff Richard Princess Balroubadour
Vanessa Howard Widow Twankey
Arthur Askey Wishee
Bruce Welch Washee
Hank Marvin Noshee
Brian Bennett Poshee
John Rostill Abanazar
Alan Curtis Town Crier
Bill Tasker Policemen
The Maljons Horse
The Lynton Boys So-Shy
Wendy Padbury Tai-Ping
Anna Perry Emperor
Julian Orchard Grand Vizier
Michael Henry Slave of the Lamp
David Davenport Genie of the Ring
Katherina Holden
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The princess warns that Abanazar can paralyze Aladdin simply by looking at him. Returning to the Genie of the Ring, Aladdin asks her to enchant a mirror to reflect an evil spell instead of an image.
Aladdin
Noshee
