Behind the scenes with Darren King ahead of new show

Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp takes to the Durban stage from September 29 – October 9 at The Globe at Suncoast. This timeless story has been translated and adapted many times since its first publication in 1704. Its continued retellings are a testament to the story’s ability to inspire and entertain generations, and now, Durban’s own Astrid Productions is bringing to South African Theatre stages a revitalised and epic telling of this classic.

MORNINGSIDE resident and seasoned actor Darren King plays the role of the Grand Vazier. This week, Berea Mail caught up with him to find out more.

The upcoming show promises to impress Durban audiences.
“One of the things that will set the show apart from anything we’ve seen in Durban before is the sheer spectacle of it. This show is not just being produced for Durban – we’re going for gold. After the Durban show, we are going to Johannesburg and then Cape Town. I think, from the audience’s point of view, it’s unusual to see a show of this scale in Durban. There certainly is no expense spared. The costumes are going to be absolutely magnificent – they are all being designed and manufactured in India,” said King.

With spacious venues that house up to 1 000 people, the production is going big – with dance scenes to match. The show has been dubbed a ‘dancical’ rather than a musical.
“There are 16–18 dancers in a number – to have a company of this size, where every one of the dancers are incredibly strong, is going to impress. There are four big numbers that move the plot along – two in Act 1 and two in Act 2,” said King.

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Getting into character

Commenting on the role, King said the character brings a sense of comic relief to the play.

“He’s a little bit of a schemer. He’s the Sultan’s right-hand man, but he has his own little side plot of marrying his son off to the princess, and one day ruling the country with his son when the Sultan retires. There’s a little bit of an edge to him, but he is basically a bumbling fool who doesn’t really know what he’s doing,” said King.

While this is not King’s first role in a production of Aladdin, previous shows were all pantomime versions of the story.

“The biggest challenge for me was not to fall back into my comfort zone of treating this as a pantomime – which it isn’t,” he said. “It’s like treading a line between going too far and not going far enough.”

ALSO READ: Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp comes to Durban

West End and cruise ships

The seasoned actor hails from the United Kingdom where he trained in a traditional British drama school before working extensively in the UK, including a five-year stint in the West End. He also spent two years working in the onboard theatre company for a cruise ship, which carried 13 shows at a time. He met his partner, a South African, on board and moved to Morningside where he has lived for the past 30 years.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work in some really big productions well as some intimate, more dramatic work. For the last 15 years, I have been working in Shakespeare, producing set work for schools,” he said.

Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp marks a return to the stage after a difficult period under the Covid-19 pandemic – and what a way to make a comeback.

More about the show

Based on an original text by Producer Anjil Naidoo, Aladdin has been re-imagined for the stage by an international team of award-winning theatre artists and a cast of 20 of South Africa’s best young and established actors and dancers. Director and dramaturge Glenn Hayden, playwright Lakhinandan Boruah, composer Pranashan Singh, choreographers Bertwin D’Souza and Shampa GopiKrishna, and Disrupt Media have combined forces with Astrid Productions to bring to the stage a new production of truly epic proportions for South African family audiences and the world. Ticketing info: Tickets available at Ticketpro.