WICK Players brought colour, vibrancy and so much more to every packed-out performance of this year's pantomime, Aladdin, at the Assembly Rooms.

And, just who was THAT lad in Aladdin who was making a great comeback? Well, it was none other than Andrew Craigie – a former stalwart of the Players making a welcome return to the stage but barely recognisable in his role as Dame Widow Twankey.

Steven Szyfelbain also had a strong stage presence throughout the performance as the villain Abanazar and together with the good dame cracked some hilarious jokes with a local flavour – even a certain local reporter had an honourable mention.

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Jenny Szyfelbain and Allan Bruce did a sterling job in directing the piece which brought together many diverse elements such as the beautifully choreographed dancers, an ultraviolet magic carpet ride, a great cast of characters and lots of colourful lighting and special effects.

Many of the unsung heroes of the stage were involved in creating the sets, costumes, sound production and hair styling – including Brian Yellop, Natalie Gow, Steven Gunn, James Steven and the musical directors Richard Smith and Beth Cormack.

Jenny said: "Everything went swimmingly. Our tickets were gone in a flash and we had four sold-out performances over the week."

She pointed out how great it was to see the young talent "blossom" over the years as they tried out different roles. Jenny also had a small role herself in this production. "I'm like Alfred Hitchcock and like to make my little appearances. Last year I was the black rat," she said.

Co-director Allan Bruce added: "If you look at the programme there's well over 50 people involved in staging the production so I'll not single anyone out – it's teamwork and that's what Wick Players is all about."

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