Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
A few years ago, just after Disney’s ALADDIN was released, I noticed that Baker’s Plays, publishers of my FIRST NIGHT, didn’t have an ALADDIN in the catalogue. I put two and two together and figured folks might want to do ALADDIN now that Disney had given the story its imprimatur, so I went to Jack Welch at Baker’s, asked if he’d be interested in a script, and the result is this, a jovial and spirited interpretation (if I do say so myself) of the Arabian Nights tale. I’ll let the Baker’s people pick up from here:
"The king of an ancient land commands the town storyteller to mesmerize him with a story. If she fails in her attempt, she faces banishment! With this weighty task before her, Scheherezade transforms each of the townspeople into actors and recruits them into acting out the story of Aladdin. His discovery of the magic lamp leads him into a wild, funny and exciting coming-of-age adventure, featuring a gregarious genie, an evil magician, a villainous father and his wimpy son, and, naturally, a lovely, street-smart Princess. Of course, the original story is here, but thanks to Neary’s clever wordplay, ingenious stage sense and farcical flair, it’s fast, witty, and surprisingly contemporary."
Well, okay. I’ll buy that.
(PHOTO FROM THE MAKESHIFT THEATRE PRODUCTION.)
Cast:
The King
Scheherezade
The Musician (who plays Aladdin)
The Cook (who plays Aladdin’s Mother)
The Jester (who plays The Magician)
The Porter (who plays The Genie)
The Chancellor (who plays The Grand Vizier)
The Accountant (who plays The Grand Vizier’s Son)
The Dancer (who plays The Princess)
The General (who plays The Sultan)
Various Townspeople (who play Various Merchants, etc.)
Setting:
The setting is the court of the King of some unnamed foreign land in some undetermined era. Once the story begins, the people of the court create the story settings from whatever material is available in the court.
Click here for an EXCERPT
Available by contacting:
Bakers Plays or Samuel French, Inc.
Or, you may purchase other Jack Neary Plays or Plays for Young Audiences by credit card via PayPal at the ScriptStore.