THREE youngsters have excelled as a comedy trio in Haltwhistle for the second year running.

James Little and brothers Jensen and Reuben Copley were star performers in the Haltwhistle Boardwalkers’ debut performance of Cinderella 12 months ago, as the Three Heralds.

Last weekend, they combined once again to play the role of madcap police officers in the Boardwalkers’ latest offering of Aladdin, at Haltwhistle Community Campus.

With the equally impressive Shay Lowery increasing the number of police officers to four, they danced and frolicked to Benny Hill music and creatively used Widow Twanky’s washing line as part of a plain-clothed policing operation.

Their hapless methods, which included a sentence of ‘two weeks’ community origami’ ensured laughs from start to finish.

Amie Graham had everything you could ask from Aladdin. A singing voice and a touch of romance.

The same could be said for Princess Yasmine (Emily Boertien), who delivered a stunning solo of the Etta James classic, The Night I Looked At You.

Martin Campbell was suitably unsavoury as the panto villian, Abanazar, yet maintained a wonderful rapport with the booing audience.

Jonathan Kenworthy was akin to Mrs Brown’s Boys star Brendan O’Carroll as Widow Twanky, but there were perhaps too many mentions of his character’s unmentionables.

Indeed, a series of well-guarded, yet risque gags, brought nothing but laughs from an appreciative family audience.

Shirley Nixon was a natural as Wishee Washee, bringing a positive vibe to proceedings, while Haltwhistle town councillor Janette Kendrew confidently delivered her lines as Spirit of the Ring.

Other notable performances came from Genie of the Lamp (Susan Hibberd), Emperor (Chris Smith), and Zing-Zong (Olivia Harrison).

This much-varied version of Aladdin included on-stage mummies, ghost busters and many local references.