A pantomime production of Aladdin with an all-white cast was criticised online for its lack of diversity.
Shone Productions Ltd is bringing its production to the M&S Bank Arena this December. It has received criticism in some quarters, from actors like Irvine Iqbal, who called the production 'shameful'. The pantomime of Aladdin, unlike Disney's take on the story, is set in China.
Since the criticism, some changes have been made to the production following a review of the content, a spokesperson for the Arena said.
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The cast of the production includes Scott Sutcliffe as Aladdin, former Coronation Street actor Connor McIntyre as Abanazar and The Voice contestant Kelsey Beth Crossley as Princess Jasmine. Radio City's Leanne Campbell also features, returning as crowd favourite Bippo.
Irvine, who has appeared in a West End production of Aladdin, tweeted: "An all-white cast in a production of Aladdin where the lyrics are 'Come on down to our Oriental Town' in the diverse city of Liverpool @MandSBankArena This is diverse Britain!" This was followed by the hashtag 'shameful' and a promotional photo of the production.
His tweet has received mixed responses, with some claiming the criticism has gone 'too far' and others praising him for starting a conversation around the issue. The UK Pantomime Association released a statement in response to the criticism the production has received, which said they were "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."
A Shone Productions spokesperson said: "Our casting calls are posted on the website 'Spotlight' which is the largest casting resource in the UK. Our adverts are open to all ethnicities.
"We have a diverse company of performers and backstage crew across all of our pantomimes. Our performers are cast based on their strength and ability for each role so that our audiences get the most enjoyment when watching our productions.
"Our pantomimes feature traditional content and original songs which have been very popular in the past with families. We hope that customers don’t take offence to any of our productions as our priority is to ensure everyone enjoys the show and has a great experience.
"We are keen to ensure our organisation is representative, and we will take feedback on board for the future."
Ben Williams, commercial director of The ACC Liverpool Group, operator of The Auditorium Liverpool at the M&S Bank Arena, said: "Our aim is to provide a varied programme of events, enabling customers to make their own decisions about which shows they wish to attend. As the host venue, we did not contribute to the casting process or content, however we understand the concerns that have been raised and are keen to ensure our organisation is somewhere where everyone feels welcome.
"Panto should be entertaining and fun, and it is absolutely not our intention to offend anyone. To that end, we have worked with the production company to review the content, and subsequently changes have been made to some aspects of the performance.
"These are now put in place for all shows from the evening of Tuesday, December 20. We aim to be inclusive and value our relationships with a wide range of groups and representatives."
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