Watch out for . . .

DEAN JOHN-WILSON, Trevor Dion Nicholas, Jade Ewen (pictured), Don Gallagher, Peter Howe and Irvine Iqbal, who lead the Disney musical Aladdin into the Prince Edward Theatre, where previews start tonight. Cameron Mackintosh has had the theatre spruced up for the occasion, and Thomas Schumacher (the president of Disney Theatrical Group) and Casey Nicholaw (the show’s director) looked very happy as they presided over rehearsals. Nicholaw said some of the references from the genie character, played by American Dion Nicholas, had been changed because of differences in meaning between the U.S. and here. ‘But then our British friends have said we should put them back,’ he said with a laugh. ‘The show is not a carbon copy of what we’ve done on Broadway. An individual actor will bring another idea to it, and that’s the most fun.’ It’s based on the film — which memorably starred Robin Williams as the Genie — and features music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin (who also wrote the book). davId HuNter, an actor (and indie musician) who starred in the musical Once and other West end shows, and who will take on the role of bewildered shoe factory owner Charlie Price in the musical Kinky Boots when Killian donnelly leaves on august 13. Matt Henry, who won the Olivier award for best actor in a musical for his performance as stiletto-heel specialist Lola, has agreed to continue in the show at the adelphi theatre into next year. elena skye, Cordelia Farnworth and alan Mehdizadeh will also be joining Kinky Boots on august 15 — the date of Hunter’s first performance. OLIVER CHRIS, who appeared in the London and Broadway companies of One Man, Two Guvnors and King Charles III. He will join James Bolam and Anne Reid in Alistair Beaton’s new drama Fracked! Or: Please Don’t Use The F-Word, at Chichester’s Minerva Theatre (previews start on July 8). Director Richard Wilson has cast Chris as a ‘ruthless PR guru’. I’m minded to comment on such a person, but I’d better not.