1) The Lyric Hammersmith theatre in London is putting on its annual pantomime production of Aladdin. While following the theatre's familiar formula, the script references current political events like Brexit and the US election to give the show a topical edge. 2) The evil Abanazer, played enthusiastically by Vikki Stone, steals many of the scenes in her attempt to pursue Aladdin and Jasmine. However, the romantic sparks between the two title characters are rather lacking. 3) Overall, while sticking closely to the theatre's tried and tested pantomime style, the production builds energy as it progresses and provides much fun and amusement for the audience, ensuring another successful

1. 1st
NewsArticle
Jose Mourinhowill face Liverpoolforthe firsttime asManchesterUnitedbosswhentheytravel to
AnfieldforMonday'sSkyLive fixture - aimingtoextendaremarkable runof results. UnderBrendan
Rodgers,Liverpool recorded home and awaywinsoverUnitedin2013/14 - buttheyare Liverpool's
onlytwovictoriesinthisfixture overthe past10 league meetings. Butthe dominance doesn'tend
there.Liverpool have justsix league winsoverUnitedsince April 2004. Nineteenof the past27
league meetingshave beenwonbythe Manchesterside,includinga1-0 winat AnfieldinJanuary
thisyear. It's a trendwhichhas developedsince the 1980s, as the graph below shows.Previously,
the teamswere evenlymatchedinhead-to-headfixtures. Historically,Unitedhave the edge,too,
with67 league winstoLiverpool's55since the team’sfirstmetin1895. The Redsof Manchester
have alsoscoredmore goals againsttheirrivals,netting233 goalscomparedto Liverpool's216 in
these games. However, UnitedfailedtobeatLiverpool homeorawayin March this year whenthe
twosidesclashed inthe EuropaLeague,withLiverpool winning2-0at AnfieldandUnited,under
Louisvan Gaal,onlymanaginga 1-1 draw at OldTrafford. The highest-scoringgame betweenthe
teamscame onMarch 25, 1908, whena Bill McPhersonhat-trickanda brace apiece forJoe Hewitt
and BobbyRobinsonsecuredLiverpool a7-4 winat Anfield. Liverpool alsowon7-1on October12,
1895, whenthe sideswere competinginthe secondtier of Englishfootball.

2. 2nd
NewsArticle
Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland
It was almostinevitablethatplaywrightAnthonyNeilsonwould,atsome point,adaptLewisCarroll’s
Alice’sAdventuresinWonderlandforthe stage.Notonlyhasthe Scottish dramatistdisplayeda
penchantforChristmastheatre inthe past (The Nightbefore Christmas,GetSanta!),buthismost
criticallyacclaimedplay,The Wonderful Worldof Dissocia,owesadiscernible debttoCarroll’s
delightfullyabsurdiststory.The comingtogetherof Neilson,Carrollandthe Victoriansplendourof
Edinburgh’sRoyal Lyceumtheatre isamarriage made in heaven. Fromthe momentthatAlice arrives
inWonderlanditisclear thatthe grandold playhouse hasahitChristmasshow on itshands.As the
White Rabbitscampersoff inhaste,designerFrancisO’Connoroffersusaworldof visual delights
that isinspiredbySirJohnTenniel’soriginal illustrationsforCarroll’stale.
The carefullystrippedbackstage,whichisframedwithwhatlookslikethe topsyturvyparaphernalia
of a Victorianfairground,playshosttoabreathtakinglybeautiful seriesof setsandcostumes.David
Carlyle’swonderfullywittyWelshGryphonisresplendentingorgeousplumage. Gabriel Quigley’s
hilariouslyimperiousQueenof Heartscapturesabsolutelythe homicidal regentenvisionedbyCarroll
and Tenniel.
Whilstitlooksravishing,the productionisafeastforall of the sensesasscript,characterisation,
musicand designcome togetherwiththe actingof a superbensemble.Thereare,forinstance,
shadesof The BeatlesandIanDury and the Blockheads inthe curiouslyappropriatemusicby
composerNickPowell. Nowhereisthisclearerthaninthe fantasticrealisationof the Mad Hatter’s
Tea Party.The castingof the everexcellentTamDeanBurn as an especiallybonkersHatterisclose
to genius.Ashishuge table rotates,tothe March Hare’sdelight,Burnsingsacrazy song aboutthe
capriciousnessof Time amidstascene of gloriouschaos.
Such momentsare repeatedthroughoutthe show,fromthe spaced-outCaterpillar’sweird
pronouncementsfromatopa huge mushroomtothe soup-relatedoutrage of the Duchess. Neilson’s
playissharp and funny,withatremendoussense of the rhythmof the story.Little wonderthatthis
outstandingproduction’stwohoursseemtoflyby Mark Brown.

3. 3rd
NewsArticles
Tayyabs Restaurant
Tayyabs has been opened since 1972, and every year it gets busier and busier. From its original
premises in a small café, it has gradually swallowed up the pub next door. If you come here
expecting a relaxing evening, cheery service or an intimate atmosphere, you’ll be disappointed:
this is a full-on, massive, hectic, loud, in-and-out sort of place. Also, if you come here without
booking, expect to wait up to an hour for a table. But we recommend this Punjabi stalwart
wholeheartedly because of the cheapness and unreserved boldness of the food. Don’t even think
about visiting without trying the fiery grilled lamb chops, which is still one of London’s best
dishes. The rest of the menu is all about rich dahls and masala channa; unctuous, slow-cooked
lamb curries; and good versions of North Indian staples – onion bhaji, spice-rubbed tikka, hot,
buttery breads and juicy kebabs. Regulars look to the daily specials, such as Karahi lamb chop
curry on Thursdays, or meat biryani on Fridays. The corkage-free BYO policy doesn’t do its
popularity any harm either.
Lahore Kebab House Restaurant
It might not look like much, but Lahore Kebab House is a place of pilgrimage for curry lovers.
Queues snake out of the door at weekends, with diners travelling from afar to sample Punjabi-
style tandoori grilled meat and generous portions of ghee-laden curry. Bargain prices, attentive
service and a BYO policy add to the draw. Piles of sweet onion bhaji and heavily spiced lamb
chops might start off a meal, before the choice velvety daals, boldly flavoured curries (many of
them on the bone) and buttery or garlic nans. The house specials are worth ordering, especially
the nihari and dry lamb curry, all served in utilitarian Karachi bowls with minimal fuss. Decor is
equally no-nonsense. Spartan and to the point, this place is all about the food. Sure, the big LCD
screens blaring out IPL cricket games or Bollywood movies are a little distracting, but the open
kitchen provides most entertainment. There’s nothing better for whetting the appetite than
watching an army of cooks kneading dough for the tandoor and flipping meats on the grill –
unless it’s the mouth-watering aromas. Lahore is hard to beat for truly authentic, vivid flavours in
a no-nonsense setting: more than worth having to queue.

4. 4th
NewsArticle
Home Alone.
The movie whichiscalled‘’Home Alone’’isamarvellousmovie because itarousesall sortsof scary
nostalgia.Whenbeinglefthome alone,where youwere achildwassupposedtobe youhearing
strange noisesandbeingafraidtolookinthe basement –howeveritalsomeantyouhadto do what
all the grownupswouldtell youtostopdoing,if theywere there.ThingslikewatchingTV uplate and
eatingall the chocolate ice creamin yourbedroom.
Home Alone isaboutan 8 yearoldchildwhodoesall of the things8 year oldsare supposedtodo.
Howeverhe wasinsingle handedlystandoff withtwohouse burglarsbyambushingthe house,and
theyare notthe kindof traps that any8 yearold couldinventunlesshe hada budgetof twenty
thousanddollarsandthe assistance of a crew of movie specialseffects.
The moviesdirectorisJohnHughes,whosometimesshowsageniusforrememberingwhatitwas
like tobe a youngkid.He has made a lot of moviessuchas ‘’The breakfastclub’’and‘’Sixteen
Candles’’.
Onlyif ‘’Home Alone’’hadlimiteditself tothe thingsthatmightof happenedtoa 8 yearold,I would
thinkthat itwouldhave linkedtothe movie alittle bitmore.WhatIdidn’tlike wasthe subplot
involvingthe twoburglarswhoare immediatelyspottedbyKevin.
The whole movie opensupinChicagowithahouseful of peopleonthe eve of a bigfamilyChristmas
vacationthe Paris.There are relativesandkidseverywhere,andwhenthe familyhasoversleptthey
race to the airport,somehowKevinwasoverlookedinthe shuffle.Whenhe wakesuplaterthat
morning,the house hasnowbecome empty.Sohe makesthe bestof it.
If a real kidwas lefthome all alone he wouldbe more frightenedthanthismovie character,and
wouldprobablycry.He mightalso try callingsomeoneoraskinghisneighbourforhelp.Butinthe
contrivedworldof thismovie the onlyneighbourinthismovie wasanoldcootwhois rumouredto
be the ‘’snowshovel murderer’’,andthe phone doesn’twork.WhenKevin’sparentsdiscover
they’ve forgottenhim,theyfinditimpossible togetanyone tofollow throughontheirpanickedcalls
– if anyone didso,the movie wouldbe over.
The plot inthismovie issoimplausible thatitmakesithard forus to reallycare about the plightof
the kid.Howeverwhatworksinthe otherdirectionisthe giftedperformancebyMacaulayCulkin,as
Kevinwhoisa little boywhoisco-starredwithJohnCandyinUncle Buck, whoishere to carry almost
the whole movie. He haslotsof challengingactingscenes,andit’supto themto save the day.He’s
such a confidentandgiftedyoungactorthatI’d like tosee himina story whichI couldmore about
‘’Home Alone’’.Whenthe burglarsinvade Kevin’shome,theyfindthemselvesrunningagamutof
boobytraps sotheyelaborate theycouldhave beeninventedbythe ‘’Snow ShovelMurderer’’.The
plausibilityisgone,we sitback,detached,towatchstuntmenandspecial effectsguystake overa
movie thatpromisedtobe the kind of storyaudiencescouldidentifywith.

5. 5th
NewsArticle
Aladdin
Lyric Hammersmithhasbeenusingthe same formula,yearinyearout,as itbattlesWalthamstow
and Leytonforthe crown of bestpantomime intown.Certainlythe Lyricfaithfulwould have grounds
for feelingthey’ve seenthisshowbefore,oratleastsomethingverylikeitandnot justbecause the
theatre 0
Yet there’snodoubtthatthe Lyric’swinningmix of sociallywell-educatedscript,amusingpop
referencesandembeddedtraditionalismhasthe zestycomfortof the familiar.Askingthemto
change theirstyle wouldbe abit like askingforfishandchips forChristmaslunch.
Notunexpectedlythen,veteranwriterJoel Horwoodhasframedthismagical paeantoall that
glitterswithinthe topsyturvypolitical climate of 2016. Here Dale Rapley’sdistracted,oldduffer-ish
EmperorOne Per Centlordsitoverthe ‘’The PoorwithKimJong-unlevelsof paranoiaandsportsa
blingy,goldsuitstraightfromthe fantasiesof DonaldTrump’sinteriordesigner.
Meanwhile,Karl Queens’sborough’saffable butsomewhatblandAladdinandhisuseless,goofy
brotherWishyWashy(an endearingArthurMcBain) are strugglingtomake endsmeetinthe
economicallystressedboroughof Fulhammerboosh,wherecouncil binslitterthe streetsandwhere
the distinctive archof Shepherd’sBushMarketisone of several illustrationsadorning Oliver
Townsend’sdelightfulhand-drawnsets.
Mainlythough,the ideahere isto have fun,andlotsof it.The scriptmay aboundwithreferencesto
BorisJohnsonbutEllenMcDougall’senthusiasticproductionallowsplentyof roomforbig,individual
performances.Here it’sVikki Stone’sevil,green-facedAbanazerwhostealsthe show ashe pursues
AladdinandAllysonAva-Brown’sstreetsmartPrincessJasmine withrisinglevelsof manic
desperation,andwhose unfamiliarname isthe source of an endlessrunninggag– at one pointeven
confusedforAbuHamza.
For a story that’ssupposedtobe aboutlove conqueringall,there are preciousfewsparksbetween
our Jasmine andAladdin.Andit’stellingthatanearlypolice chase scene involvingmalfunctioning
washingmachinesfallsfarshortof the requiredgiddymayhem.Butthe show hasan organic
momentumthatonlygathersinpace.Predictably,then,the Lyrichave anotherhitontheirhands.