Theatre News

UK Pantomime Association: We have been made aware of productions of ”Aladdin” that employ racist stereotypes

The M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, which hosts one production of Aladdin that has been criticised
The M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, which hosts one production of Aladdin that has been criticised
© By Phil Nash from Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
The UK Pantomime Association and organisers of Panto Day have issued a statement over “productions of Aladdin that employ racist stereotypes.”

The statement reads as follows: “The UK Pantomime Association and Panto Day are champions of pantomime and take seriously the need for innovation and progression in the sector, including the appropriate casting of performers from the global majority, and removal of racist stereotypes which have historically been depicted in pantomimes.

“We have been made aware of productions of Aladdin that employ racist stereotypes. There is no place for such casting, writing and directing in the pantomime industry today.

“The UK Pantomime Association will be holding the first of its annual Pantomime Symposiums in association with Staffordshire University in February 2023 and can confirm that there will be a panel addressing inclusivity, diversity and representation.”

It comes following wide-spread social media criticism of productions of Aladdin, including one show being performed at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool – which released a now-deleted video showing footage from their festive show.

— Irvine Iqbal (@IrvineIqbal) December 18, 2022

The production has released a series of trailers over the past few weeks promoting the pantomime:

— M&S Bank Arena Liverpool (@MandSBankArena) December 9, 2022