A host of BBC children’s television stars unite for a pantomime mash-up of two classic Arabian Nights tales.
In this ambitious holiday special, the story of Aladdin is combined with the legend of Ali Baba. The wicked magician Abanazar (Edward Brayshaw) schemes to acquire a magic lamp, manipulating the young Aladdin (Sarah Greene) to retrieve it for him. Meanwhile, Abdul, The Chief Thief (Kenneth Connor), leads his gang of forty criminals. When Abanazar joins forces with the thieves, Aladdin must rely on the help of the Genie of the Ring (Floella Benjamin), the Genie of the Lamp (Christopher Biggins), his mother Widow Twankey (Johnny Morris), and his brother Wishee Washee (Terry Nutkins) to defeat them and win the love of Princess Balroubador (Jan Francis).
This production was an enormous crossover event for BBC Children’s television, conceived as a major New Year’s Day spectacle. The programme’s central novelty was its fusion of two separate Arabian Nights stories, creating a single, sprawling narrative. Its primary purpose, however, was to function as an all-star vehicle for the channel’s extensive roster of presenters and personalities. The cast reads like a “who’s who” of early 1980s children’s broadcasting, uniting stars from programmes like Blue Peter, Play School, and Animal Magic with comedy legends such as Kenneth Connor and Clive Dunn. The result is less a theatrical pantomime and more a self-contained television celebration, leveraging the familiarity of its performers to create a unique piece of family entertainment.
Broadcast: BBC One, 1 Episode, 1 January 1984
Written by: John Morley
Producer: Jeremy Swan
Director: Jeremy Swan
Music by: Roy Civil
Designer: Marjorie Pratt
Choreography by: Chris Power
Main Cast: Sarah Greene (Aladdin), Johnny Morris (Widow Twankey), Edward Brayshaw (Abanazar), Jan Francis (Princess Balroubador), Kenneth Connor (Abdul, The Chief Thief), Floella Benjamin (Genie of the Ring), Christopher Biggins (Genie of the Lamp), Terry Nutkins (Wishee Washee), Brian Cant (Emperor of China), Molly Weir (Mrs Ping Pong), Clive Dunn (Chamberlain)
