A Lad in… Cramond
★★☆☆☆ Fun
Cramond Kirk Hall: Fri 12 – Sat 13 Dec 2025
Review by Erin Frances Speirs
Cramond Drama Group return to Cramond Kirk Hall for two nights only with A Lad in… Cramond a fun, all-new(ish) family pantomime with a proper Cramond twist.
It’s two years since the company’s first panto outing – Cramond Island – staged in 2023, the year the company was formed. This year Laura Hutchinson makes her first foray into writing for the stage with a script that has bundles of Cramond-based comedy and references.
Oliver Thomson, Candice Sullivan and Freda Macdonell. Pic CDG.
A Lad in Cramond – the Boy Who Dared to Dream – follows most of the expected plot points of a Pantomime Aladdin. Here, a Widow Twanky, her love-lorn son Aladdin and his silly brother Wishy Washy, there a Princess Jasmine (object of Aladdin’s desire) and her dad Mr King and, over there, Jasmine’s wicked uncle Abanazar.
Of course there is also a lamp. Although it is Mr King, owner of Cramond Burgess, who demands that Aladdin retrieve a special lamp, in order to get a chance to be with Jasmine.
Hutchinson’s script shines when it comes to its Cramond-based humour, with references to local shops and the villainous Abanazar. being from neighbouring Silverknowes. The updates to the lyrics of the songs are also strong and immensely entertaining.
upbeat energy
However there are some structural issues which are not as well thought through. Sharon May plays Phyllis from Up the Road, who interacts with the audience, summarises events on stage like some gossipy neighbour and has mixed success with her one-line jokes to the audience.
Bizarrely, having dominated Act 1, for good or ill, Phyllis all but disappears after the interval.
Hutchison’s upbeat energy and commitment to the playful aspects of pantomime should be commended. There could, perhaps, be more attention given to the nuts and bolts of the genre’s classic call-and-response elements. The timing of these appears simple, but is hard to get right, and will no doubt improve with practice in future years.
Oliver Thomson, Candice Sullivan, Freda Macdonell and Des Linton. Pic CDG.
As might be expected for a tiny community panto, the acting performances are mixed. It is always good to see a principal boy in pantoland, and the jodhpur-wearing Candice Sullivan fits the bill, although she could be more dynamic in her delivery.
As the object of Aladdin’s affections, Katie Lumsdaine has a lovely singing voice, and brings a truth to Jasmine’s yearnings but, being a pantomime princess, has little development.
There nothing one-note about Oliver Thomson as Wishy Washy. Thomson’s vocal talent shines through, and his stage presence and acting ability is commendable, particularly as the only child actor to have a main role in this production. He even shows off his dance abilities, breakdancing during a dance break.
abrasive flirtiness
Freda Macdonell is entertaining as Widow Twanky and, when the script allows for it, delivers her lines with great humour. Her abrasive flirtiness contrasts with Antony Wilson’s purposefully uptight Mr King.
Nik Chenery steals the show in many ways as Jasmine’s uncle Abanazar. His vocal ability is above most of the rest of the cast, and his performance as the villain is one of the most entertaining aspects of A Lad in…Cramond.
Another very amusing character is the ambiguously European – with a definite German influence –Genie (Des Linton) whose simple but comedic delivery is received gloriously throughout.
]Oliver Thomson, Candice Sullivan and Freda Macdonell. Pic CDG.
PC Him (Linda Clarke) and PC Jim (Fiona Murdoch) are placed for comedic effect and to farcically carry the plot along, to middling success. Clarke and Murdoch’s performances are strong for the material they are working with. Debby Lipschutz, who only appears briefly as the Spirit of the Ring, shines during her short amount of stage time.
As director, Hutchinson uses the Kirk Hall stage and the hall itself well, with audience interaction being one of the strongest aspects of this production. Rosemarie Dawson’s choreography is engaging and appropriate for the skill level of the young dancers from Waterfront Dance Studios, who perform their hearts out with grace.
Costuming – from Eleanor Taylor, Freda McGlynn, Olive McMillen, and Theatre Stuff – is varied. Many characters, such as Widow Twanky and Abanazar, have camp but complete panto-esq costumes. However, this isn’t consistently carried through.
A Lad in…Cramond is a fun evening out for the family, which plays well to its audience’s expectations of a local panto production There is a lot to love here and, with the joy and commitment put into this production, the future of Cramond Drama Group is bright.
Running Time: Two hours and 10 minutes (including one interval)
Cramond Kirk Hall, 16 Cramond Glebe Rd EH4 6NS
Friday 12 – Saturday 13 December 2025
Evenings: 7pm
Tickets and details: Run ended.
CGD Social Media links
Instagram – @cramonddramagroup
Facebook – @Cramond-Drama-Group
The cast of A Lad in… Cramond. Pic CDG
ENDS
