The magical story of Aladdin is New Theatre Royal's pantomime this Christmas

They promise a truly magical production of enchantment, romance and comedy – with live music, stunning sets, slick choreography and sensational costumes, audiences can also expect all the traditional panto fun.

The captivating tale will be brought to life by a line-up of professional actors from both stage and screen. With an impressive repertoire of theatre performances around the country, Alex Scott Fairley will join the cast as Abanazaar while previous NTR panto star Chris Aukett will return to the stage to play Widow Twankey. The title role of Aladdin will be played by Emma Marsh, with Kaysha Nada gracing the stage as Princess Jasmine. The comedy will be provided by Widow Twankey alongside James Oates as Wishee-Washee and PC played by Josiah Eloi. Taking on the role of the mystical Genie will be Miguel Angel, who has appeared in West End and UK tours alongside the likes of Vincent Simone and Donny Osmond.

And the talented junior ensemble dancers are all from the Portsmouth-based Classique School of Dance.

Chris Aukett was one of the Ugly Sisters during the venue’s Cinderella two years ago, but this is his first outing as a dame. He said: “Last time I was here we still had to deal with Covid restrictions – we had to stay away from one another, we had to be very aware of proximity and things like that and it really changed the staging and we couldn't bring the kids up, so the stage felt slightly empty to us. I'm looking forward to having that full show and full audience with no restrictions.

“It's a beautiful building and the team here are amazing, it's so nice to come back here.”

The venue has teamed up with Jordan Productions for its third year running. Managing director Chris Jordan said: “We can’t wait to bring our production of Aladdin to the Portsmouth audience this Christmas and new year. Full of magic and surprises, fun and laughter, we hope to bring families and friends together for a truly enjoyable panto experience.”

Aladdin runs from December 8-31, with a BSL Signed Performance on December 17 and Relaxed Performance on December 31. Tickets range from £10 to £23 and can be booked at newtheatreroyal.com or by calling the box office on (023) 9264 9000.