Wow things have been super busy here in the Purple house with Christmas and the arrival of Coco our puppy (more on that soon). Luckily we managed to fit in a visit to the pantomime this week.  Bristol Hippodrome had a relaxed performance of this years pantomime which is perfect for our family as three out of five of us are on the autistic spectrum.

Relaxed performances;

Relaxed performances are designed for people who have sensory processing issues, autism or those who would prefer a less intense experience for whatever reason.  Behavioural expectations are more relaxed in the theatre, a chill out area is provided, and an atmosphere of tolerance and acceptance is expected. Additionally this year there was an introduction in which some of the more intense special affects (pyrotechnics etc) were shown and explained before the performance began.

The relaxed aspect of the show worked perfectly for us.  My son who is autistic will not go to the theatre at any other time as he finds it too loud and intense but he finds the relaxed performance manageable and enjoyable. My daughter is easily startled so knowing there would be pyrotechnics etc rather than being surprised by them meant she was relaxed and happy. For me I just enjoy being amongst other people who have similar struggles to us.

I was feeling really tired after lack of sleep due to puppy wakings, and was feeling like the theatre was too much for me that day. However I am so glad I made the effort, it was absolutely brilliant!

Aladdin;

Joe Pasquale plays Wishy Washy Aladdins brother and he was superb. He was ridiculous, hilarious and his humour was right up my street. I absolutely loved his performance and for me he was the highlight of a fantastic pantomime.

Marti Pellow as evil Abanazar was also terrific. Obviously he can sing, but he also played the character with just the right level of intensity and humour. The rest of the cast David Robbins as Widow Twanky, Alexis Gerrard as Aladdin, and Hayley Tamadoon as Princess Jasmine were all well played in fact significantly better than the dame’s and romantic leads of previous pantos.

This panto is a spectacular, with big props and special effects a plenty. I was actually dumbfounded when Aladdin and Wishy Washy rode the magic carpet, it took me a while to work out how it was flying! The 3d section was lovely, and the ape and the snake wowed us all.

More information;

I was so happy after I’d seen this pantomime. All my children and Mr Purple agreed it was the best one yet. Aladdin runs until January 7th, and if you haven’t got tickets yet do fit it in if you possibly can. Go here to book tickets and for more information. Also if you would like to see next years relaxed performance then follow me, Purpleella on Twitter and Facebook, as I will be letting my followers know about it and how to book etc well in advance.