Aladdin Pantomime

The History of Aladdin

Aladdin, or to be correct, Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp, comes from the Thousand and One Nights, the collection of tales which come from a variety of sources but are thought to have been first collected together in Persia (now Iran) in the ninth century.

The Story of Aladdin

Aladdin is a poor man who is sent by a sorcerer to get a magic lamp from a cave – but he doesn’t know the lamp is protected by a curse. Angry at the lie, Aladdin keeps the lamp, and finds that a genie lives inside who can grant him wishes. He selfishly uses this power to become rich and marry a princess but his new wife, not knowing the lamp’s power, gives it away to the sorcerer.
When the sorcerer uses his new power to take Aladdin’s wife and riches, Aladdin has lost everything. However, he still has a ring that the sorcerer gave him before he went in the cave, and the ring is capable of summoning another, less powerful genie. With this new genie’s help, Aladdin defeats the sorcerer.
When Aladdin uses the lamp to get riches and marry the princess for the first time, he has not truly earned them. It is only once he has been through a struggle and proven his worth that he can be entitled to his new position.

Main Characters in Aladdin

• Abanazar

a sorcerer

• Widow Twankey

a poor washerwoman

• Aladdin

the son of Widow Twankey

• Princess Precious Jade

the Emperor's daughter

• Wishee Washee

a laundry boy

• The Genie of the Lamp

a powerful spirit

• Hoo Flung Dat

the Emperor of China

• Jasmin Flower

a handmaiden of the princess

• Peach Blossom

a handmaiden of the princess