A talented cast of young thespians will take to the stage tonight for the classic tale of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves as never seen before.
Haddo Children’s Theatre will raise the curtain on their production of Tin Pan Ali tonight, with 51 youngsters showing off their talents.
Set in the back streets of 1930’s Chicago, Ali Baba the street sweeper sees some gangsters dump a haul of jewels in a warehouse manned by Sesame. He steals the loot and takes it home to his girlfriend, with some serious consequences.
The youngsters, aged seven to 16, have been rehearsing since September and will be accompanied by a live band playing 1920s and 1930s music.
Director Julie Hutton said: “It looks amazing. If you’d asked me three weeks ago, I’d have said it was never going to come together – but I always say that. Suddenly everything has just fallen into place, and it’s looking great.
“It’s the story of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, with a bit of a take on Bugsy Malone with all the gangster characters. The original theme still exists, with the princess and Sultan acting as narrators.”
Behind the scenes, the cast will be assisted by parents and former group members who have worked on the set, costumes, props and lighting.
This will be the 13th show Mrs Hutton, a self-employed drama teacher, has directed and this year she is being assisted by Brian Cameron.
She added: “It’s nice wee team, I’m so lucky to be involved. The parents really get stuck in.”
The show at Haddo House Hall, near Tarves, runs until Sunday. Tonight and tomorrow’sthurs and fri performance is at 7.30pm, while the weekend performances are at 2.30pm.
Tickets are £10 for adults and £5 for children and concessions. Discounts are available for groups of more than eight.
To book, call Denise Wechsler on 07786 243676 or buy from the NTS Shop, Haddo, Formartine’s, J&K Shoes, Ellon, or Duthie of Tarves.