While it’s usually called an Arabian tale, this version had strong French influences.
On May 3, Madame Evelyne Martel’s Grade 5 French immersion class at Bastion Elementary put on a fast-paced, fluent, funny version of the tale of Aladdin, all in French. The students were given a choice of three plays, explains Martel, and they chose Aladdin from the Book of One Thousand and One Nights. Using a script from a Disney version of the tale, they translated it. After translation and auditions, about two months ago, they began putting the play together. The students even choreographed the dance numbers in the production.
“They did wonderfully, they worked so hard and it showed. They were very proud,” said Martel, a statement the audience clearly would support.
The cast dedicated the play to Sarah Johnson, a cast member (the magic carpet) who broke her leg the weekend before the performance so couldn’t participate.