Aladdin and friends drop in to Evelina London

Marina meeting Jasmine and Aladdin

Disney and MediCinema brought the cast of Disney’s Aladdin, the spectacular West End musical, for a very special visit.

All our wishes came true when MediCinema and the team at Disney Theatrical Productions invited Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie and friends.

Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Jafar and Iago delighted patients and staff when they hopped off stage and travelled by magic carpet to Evelina London. Eight year old Marina, who is being treated on Beach ward, wore a tiara to meet the characters and was most excited to meet Jasmine.

Marina was so excited about the visit she took one of the lamps that she had made the previous day in an arts and crafts workshop. She said: “I’ve been granting people wishes, anything they wanted. Harriet, my nurse, asked for 1,000 wishes and a dog. Another nurse wished for a beach and Rachel wished for a holiday. Anything they asked for, I granted.”

The visiting cast included Antony Hewitt as Aladdin, Courtney Reed as Jasmine, Trevor Dion Nicholas as Genie, Fred Johanson as Jafar and Jermaine Woods as Iago. They joined patients and their families for a fun filled day with entertainment and the opportunity to capture a photo with their favourite cast members.

Earlier in the day, children enjoyed a movement and music workshop inspired by the popular track ‘Friend Like Me’ with Disney Theatrical Teaching Artists, Felicity and Genevieve. The cast also made their way to the wards to meet children and young people unable to leave their beds, taking some Disney magic directly to their bedside.

As a long-term supporter of the charity, Disney worked in partnership with MediCinema to arrange the visit, bringing the power of their stories and characters to help build emotional resilience, creating Moments that Matter for children and those closest to them. 

Jane Sivyer, senior play specialist at Evelina London said: “It’s been fantastic to bring the cast of Aladdin to the hospital and have Aladdin activities over the last couple of days. Some children won’t have the opportunity to visit the theatre so to have the cast of the Aladdin stage show visit them is really special and a wonderful compliment to being able to see the new film version of Aladdin at our MediCinema. It was especially touching to see the cast raise a smile for our families in intensive care.”

The MediCinema at St Thomas’ Hospital, on the same site as Evelina London, is one of six operating within the UK run by the national charity MediCinema. The service is also supported by funding from donations to Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity.

Did you know that we’re celebrating 150 years of Evelina London?

Since 1869, we've been saving lives, improving health and inspiring better futures. 150 years ago, Evelina London was born out of love, when Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild founded the hospital in memory of his wife, Evelina.