As one of Disney’s most beloved tales, Aladdin wowed Birmingham audiences last night. Filled with colour, glitter and packed with puns, the performance is part of the show’s first ever UK tour. Following the adventures of the title character, a young loveable rogue, in his quest to win the heart of Princess Jasmine, Birmingham was taken on a magical ride with high notes hit from start to finish.

Opening with a rousing, brass fuelled, overture the orchestra ensured that the iconic hits and Alan Menken’s beautiful score was played to perfection, if at times slightly drowning out some of the cast’s vocals. As the curtain rose, it revealed the most beautiful set packed with colourful scarves and sparkling props. The ensemble were wonderfully diverse and shone in the beautifully choreographed dance numbers. Though they were individually occasionally guilty of throwaway lines that did not carry successfully, their numerous enchanting costumes and boundless energy propelled the plot forward.

Yeukayi Ushe more than filled the larger-than-life boots left by Robin Williams, with incredible vocals, excellent pacing, and a laugh-a-minute script delivered in the style of a Hollywood compere. There is no doubt that ‘Friend Like Me’ was the showstopper of the evening, capping off a sensational first act. From it’s very opening notes the audience were clapping along, and this energy was maintained as it segued through never-ending phases including a Strictly Come Dancing takeover, which suited it’s audience demographic perfectly, a Country-Western section, a tap sequence, a Disney crooner medley, topped off with a two-time can-can and onstage fireworks.

It felt like the various scenes were filler moments, dominated by the slightly weaker male vocalists, whose repetitive jokes began to wear a little. Nevertheless, moments of light relief were found with the undeniably hilarious evil duo of Jafar and Iago. Leaning further into the pantomime dynamic of the show, the two helped punctuate this pacing issue. They also showcased one of the performance’s standout features- the production value- with multiple costume changes, a magical page-turning book and plenty of dry ice.

Desdemona Cathabel, playing Jasmine, proved the extent of her perfect vocals alongside her co-star Gavin Adams, playing Aladdin. Cathabel’s performance here was just one of her many incredible moments as a strong female lead, finding light and dark, strength and vulnerability, and captivating the crowd. The simplicity of the starlight sky and flying carpet fulfilled all the hopes and dreams of the audience, from nine-year-olds to ninety-year-olds, with a hushed awe spreading across the theatre.

This magical formula was returned to in the final moments of the show, where the cobwebs of the duller scenes were blown away with a reprise of ‘Arabian Nights’ mashed-up with ‘A Whole New World’. With the audience on their feet in an instant and confetti falling from the sky, it proved that despite any noted weaknesses, this is a show for the ages that is guaranteed to delight families across the UK.