The Country Players

 
 

Some of the cast of Ali Baba!

Ali Baba (Alan Gilmore) is a penniless peasant who makes money from firewood that he has collected. His wife, Semolina (“my pudding” - Sue McKeeting) wants more money, as does his brother Cassim (Graham Pavey), who has just bought the house and doubled the rent; meanwhile his son Mohammed Ali (Zoe Harbour) is in love with the servant girl Morgiana (Kaomi Marfell).


In the forest with Humpy the camel (Josh Kirkup and Jack Flynn), Ali sees the thieves lead by Hassan Al Rascoul (Graham Cole) open the magic cave to stash their ill-gotten gains. When they have gone, Ali opens the cave and takes some jewellery back to his wife and son.


Once back home, they wonder how they can value the gold, so they decide to borrow the weighing scales from Cassim’s house, so they send Morgiana over. Cassim’s wife Fatima (Ian McDonald) puts grease on the scales; when they are returned she sees gold pieces stuck to them, so she sends Cassim to the cave to fetch lots of treasure.....

Cassim Baba (Graham Pavey) and

Fatima (Ian McDonald)

Morgiana (Kaomi Marfell) and

Mohammed (Zoe Harbour)

Cassim meets the spirits of the forest, Ginny, Rummy and Whisky (Rhiannon Bland, Gemma Flynn and Katie Flynn) and eventually learns the magic word and opens the cave. At that moment, two of Al Rascoul’s thieves arrive - Smashem (Leila Bland) and Grabbem (Joyce Halpin) and close the cave again with Cassim in it. Al Rascoul discovers Cassim in the cave and decides to leave him there to die (because the magic word doesn’t work from the inside).....

Later, when Ali and the family are about to have dinner, a rich merchant Sheikh Yermunni calls on them - this is really Hassan Al Rascoul in disguise, he is trying to find out where his treasure went! He arranges (with Smashem and Grabbem) to drug the wine for the party, but they get it wrong (as usual). Morgiana the slave overhears them and realises that Cassim is in the cave and goes to rescue him.


Cassim returns in the middle of the party just as Morgiana empties water into the jars where Smashem and Grabbem are hiding, and unmasks Al Rascoul.


Al Rascoul gives up his evil ways, Ali keeps the treasure and frees Morgiana from slavery so she can marry Mohammed!

Hassan Al Rascoul (Graham Cole) at his most evil.

The Country Players


ALI BABA


Directed by Alice Cacchio


Wootton Village Hall   January 28th 2011


This was a traditional pantomime with many novelty attractions, including a magician and a camel. 


The two young leads Zoe Harbour and Kaomi Marfell, gave confident relaxed performances. Their duet Almost Paradise was well sung. Graham Cole, was well cast as baddie Rascoul, he prowled and threatened  in the time honoured manner and gave the audience much to boo.  In the dame role, Ian Mcdonald was excellent.  Here was a natural comic at ease with the audience. His foray into the audience was very funny and gave Ian the opportunity to demonstrate how well he could communicate with the audience, his ad libs were very comical. Additional humour was provided by his idiotic henchmen, Joyce Halpin and Leila Bland. The robber band  too added much to the action, I particularly liked their song. It was good to see so many young people in the cast as spirits and dancers, working with older and more experienced actors.


The opening scene was colourful and other scenes too were entirely appropriate - the cave and the UV forest. Scene changes were well organised so that scenes front of curtain allowed scene changes back stage, making  the action continuous.  The cast performed to recorded music and this worked well. Dave Hill did a very slick job of orchestrating the lights, sound and special effects.


The pace of the show varied. Scenes in the cave, with the camel and the dame had good pace. Lines were well delivered and cueing was sharp. Scenes in Ali Baba's house were of a slower pace and needed more energy.


In her first directorial role, Alice is to be congratulated; this was an entertaining evening which the audience enjoyed. 



Enid Cooper

NODA Representative

District 2

Grabbem (Joyce Halpin) and

Smashem (Leila Bland), two of

Al Rascoul’s thieves.

Poster for Ali Baba.