How 'Aladdin' in the West End Is Different from the Disney Classic

As a kid, Aladdin was one of my favourite Disney movies, other than Beauty and the Beast. Being a child during the Disney Renaissance era was a privilege, the films that were fresh in those days like The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Hercules are all to this date still considered great films. Aladdin was a great story to me cause it taught me to be myself even when I didn't like myself. The ending to Aladdin was always satisfying because Aladdin was trying too hard to be someone he wasn't only for Jasmine to love him just how he is.

Having seen the film many times, I finally got round to seeing the stage production this year. The excitement was visible in my fingers and my little holiday to London was extended by a few hours. It was worth it in my opinion. That aside, there are some differences between the stage production and the Disney classic film that help give the story a more unique experience. Some bits I liked, but there were some I didn't. Other than that, I thought it was a spectacular show.

The film and the theatre production share one thing in common: The Genie is the star of the show. Robin Williams was perfect as the voice of the genie and I feel as if the role was made for him. I like how they adapted the Genie's character into something new and funny without copying Robin William's style. They were some big shoes to fill and I think the theatre did a marvellous job with it.

In the film, Aladdin has no friends except for his pet monkey, Abu. So we get to see how lonely his life is without a family, and the fact he has to steal food because he has no money and nobody to depend on makes it more poignant. In the theatre production, he is replaced by three characters that are new to me. It's like a three musketeers and D'artanian vibe. I like his friends, they give some good comic relief and it helps give it a different vibe to the show. Kassim, Omar, and Babkak come across as Aladdin's fan club when they're first introduced, but they get some character development too which is awesome. I think out of the three of them, Kassim gets the most.

It's still a shame we don't see Abu other than a picture of him during one of the musical numbers. I still think we could have had a puppet serving as Abu. It would have still been great to give Abu some stage time. The homage to him was cool though. At least you're in the upcoming live-action film.

Everyone remembers the Sultan as a bubbly charming old man who loved his toys. The Sultan in the show is more a competent leader and thus less manipulated, which makes Jafar in this feel less menacing and more conic. Jafar, whilst his character arc is faithful to the film, is not as successful as his film counterpart and doesn't get as much time to enjoy his winnings after his Prince Ali reprise. I felt his demise in the theatre production felt rushed. Iago and Jafar seemed to have swapped brains in theatre production.

In the end, the lack of Abu and the changes to the other characters help me appreciate the film even more. It makes me realise that Jafar in the 1992 film is a great villain that offers real conflict.

With the upcoming live action film coming up, I'll be honest. I've already got low expectations based on some of the trailers I've seen, but I like the clips in this video more than the actual trailers coming out. And I find it interesting that it's Will Smith that has been cast as the genie. I hope there is a reference to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air somehow. Regardless of how low my expectations are, I think I will still end up watching the film. I like how it's borrowed from both the film and the West End production, and seeing both will help me appreciate the film more I think.