Review by Seth Wilby
⭐️⭐️⭐️
While this Bristol Old Vic production may share a title with Little Mermaids which have come before, that is where the similarities stop. The sea creatures speak in strong regional accents, the clownfish dances to "Hot To Go," and the coral is dying in this bold reimagining. But would this festive offering make a splash or does it leave you gasping for air?
As the show begins, we meet our protagonist, the mermaid Sereia, whose underwater friends are all leaving the Southern Waters as the reef continues to diminish. To fix this, Sereia sacrifices her tail and ventures to land, where she meets the young, introverted Kai. Kai’s music can bring the seabed back to life, but his possessive parents are the ones running the oil drilling business that’s killing the coral. Sereia must team up with Kai and her underwater friends to save Coral from Inky Slick (or as humans call it, oil).
It is clear that this production, directed by Miranda Cromwell, has a very strong vision behind it, and the direction keeps this strong throughout, with these more abstract ideas being used as a principle method of storytelling. There’s a coherent collaboration in this with designer Ruby Pugh, whose costuming is so marvelously creative, be it a turtle depicted by a green helmet and backpack or a clownfish represented by two orange fans and a red nose. Occasionally, however, some of the concepts did become so abstract it was difficult to understand what they were supposed to represent in the first place. Pugh’s set is similarly creative, with oil rig platforms being wheeled on from time to time to add depth to the otherwise bare stage (although the extravagant costumes ensure it never feels as such), yet it would have been nice to see more of the imagination that was used in the costuming reflected in the set, notably the coral, which, although represented by an actor, appears first as a large white staircase, with coral-like detailings. When surrounded by the abstractness of the costumes, it was slightly confusing to have a more literal approach taken by much of the set. Cromwell has achieved a rather intimate feel to this story, and it is her inspired directorial vision, along with Pugh’s designs, that ensure this is a production with imagination breathed into its backbone.
Sonali Bhattacharyya’s script is remarkably funny, with a clear moral throughout. The underwater world has had clear thought put into it (the clownfish does stand up, and the angel fishes sing christmas carols, for example) and the relations between these characters feel real and effortlessly written, with a few local references (and, of course, this Christmas’ compulsory one to ‘holding space’) slotted in with ease, although the story does suffer from some unfortunate pacing issues. The first ten or so minutes seem to drag, and don’t engage the audience quick enough, often dwarfed by the staging or the script’s own jokes, which, since it is only in this initial scene that we find out the main problems in the ocean and Sereia’s resulting incentive to go to land, means the audience don’t establish a great enough motive to go on this journey with her. The end of the story suffers from the opposite problem, instead feeling rushed, leaving an unsatisfying ending, with the reasons behind Inky Slick’s defeat unclear, and Kai’s parents never being put in their place as the audience desires.
It is such a shame that the production is sandwiched by issues because, in the middle, the writing is far stronger- dialogue is witty and the story feels more fleshed out, but still not enough seems to happen to warrant the two hour run time. It is rare that the characters actually go through any emotional development, with the only example being Sereia feeling betrayed by Kai, which, admittedly, does make for a touching scene, yet this is all resolved far too easily. Beyond that one scene, though, everyone seems to remain static, undergoing minimal character development- Sereia begins just as hopeful and confident, leaving little to achieve from her character arc, Kai’s parents remain arrogant and upper-class, and, even in the beginning scene, the sea creatures don’t seem overly sad to be leaving the Southern Waters. Inky Slick herself can be a rather confusing villain. She’s a punk rock icon, dressed in leather and tinsel, and upon her first appearance, it seems the character has a lot of potential, which is unfortunately all lost by her minimal appearances- she only properly appears in one scene in the whole show, and this really does diminish her villainous impact, leaving the thrust of the plot thin. The story definitely has potential, and the moral is an important one, but the majority leaves you wishing the production had taken the plunge into deeper waters.
A nice inclusion in this production is in the mesmerising aerial routines, impressively performed by Holly Downey, which are at their strongest during the show’s underwater segments. Downey begins portraying Sereia’s tail, working fluidly with Liana Cottrill as both create a smoothly convincing interpretation of water’s flow. While consistently majestic and varied, the inclusion of these routines in the production sometimes felt unnecessary, only serving to further distract from the narrative. The choice to have them occur in the background of some dialogue-heavy scenes was perplexing, as if the direction didn’t feel able to rely on either to carry the audience’s attention alone, yet the aerial feats definitely had more storytelling potential than they were used for. The songs, composed by Femi Temowo and performed energetically by Harry Miller and Alex Heane, did well in injecting life into the production, fitting the tone well, yet none were natural earworms, and it would have been nice to see the live music used more.
The cast is nobly helmed by Liana Cottrill in a wonderfully natural performance as Sereia, bringing to the role a wholesome sense of hope, as well as a stably graceful singing voice and elegant underwater movement. Cottrill’s performance seems like one with a true connection to the character, and is what makes Sereia someone the audience can’t help but root for. As wannabe conservationist and Sereia’s potential love interest, Kai, is John Leader, in a performance oozing in charm and youthful innocence which, like Cottrill, forms a surefire connection to the audience. The two show great chemistry with one another, with the scene of their initial meeting and courtship being the first where the narrative seems to pick up pace. While their love story is often feisted to the side, it is the performances of the two that make it believable and human, in two performances that bring the production the youth and character it requires.
The supporting cast consists of an ensemble of hilariously brilliant multi-rolers whose performances you can’t help but enjoy. Michael Elcock and Corrina Buchanan are a great double act as Kai’s Musk and Trump idolising parents, Richard and Jocasta, bringing the characters to just the right extent of over-the-top in performances that every audience member is sure to relate to someone they’ve crossed paths with. Alison Fitzjohn’s Inky Slick is nothing short of iconic in her rare stage time, and her performance as a Bristolian turtle is almost scene-stealing, and a surefire audience hit. Nandi Bebhe delivers a soulful performance as coral, convincingly lending her portrayal to that of the desperate and frail seabed. This great cast are who makes sure the production can pull of humour and heart, and, by the end, they all feel like the audience’s own friends.
The Little Mermaid was a show I had high hopes for. While it delivers in imagination and a wonderful connection to the cast, inconsistent writing leaves the narrative thrust lacking. A fun festive family show for sure, but not one that manages to reach its full potential.
The Little Mermaid plays at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre until January 11th 2025
For tickets and information visit https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/the-little-mermaid-2024