Review: The Little Mermaid (Watermill Theatre)

Review by Hywel Farrow-Wilton

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Most people are familiar with the Disney version of The Little Mermaid. Ariel, daughter of King Triton, is a young mermaid who exchanges her voice for human legs so she can walk on land who ends up falling in love with handsome Prince Eric after she saved him from a shipwreck… Cue the singing crab.

Whilst this new production from The Watermill Theatre shares its name with its Disney predecessor, make no mistake, this is a brand new re-telling of the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale. Director Elgiva Field takes the bold move to re-contextualise and de-Disney-fy the story so that it stands on its own as a brand-new adaptation and what a show it is, not an easy thing to do when the Disney film is so well known. However, it pays off massively and makes The Little Mermaid truly a ‘must-sea’ show of the Christmas season.

The book by Lara Barbier froths and bubbles with its cheeky family-friendly humour, loveable characters and gentle pace that is entertaining for audiences of all ages. It is set in Cornwall, a county filled to the brim with myths and folklore surrounding mermaids, sea witches and shipwrecked sailors, a perfect setting for this show. This re-contextualising also grounds the story in a more ‘real’ context than previous adaptations which have often leant into its fairytale roots. In Barbier’s version there are no castles or Prince Erics, instead we have Cadan, a young fisherman who is saved by a young mermaid named Merryn after he falls from his fishing boat during a storm. As part of the de-Disney-fication of the story, Merryn doesn’t fall in love with Cadan at first sight. What drives her to give up her voice in this version is that her younger brother Kitto goes missing after some trawling ships plough through their home. This is a very welcome change as it adds emotional stakes to an otherwise bland love story, and makes Merryn’s journey as a character more than just her falling in love with a man.

Now, this wouldn’t be a folk re-telling without some folk music. Amie Parsons, one half of the Cornish folk duo True Foxes, has written the music and lyrics for the show, and the score gracefully swims between upbeat group numbers, choral ballads, and romantic duets. A particular highlight is the gorgeous act two song ‘Snow in Cornwall’. In typical Watermill fashion, the actors are also the musicians, bringing the music to life right before our eyes. This works especially well with the Cornish setting, and is perfect for the folk style of the show, and the cast display great dexterity and skill on various Celtic instruments, from fiddles to a double bass and tin whistles.

However, the absolute highlight of the show is the simply stunning work of set and costume designer April Dalton. The Merpeople’s costumes are particularly amazing, covered in shimmering glitter and waves that give the actors a fluid quality to their movements, bringing their underwater world to life. The set is equally stunning, aided by the Watermill theatre’s numerous exposed wooden beams and ceiling, which already gives the space a rustic feel and helps create the aesthetic of a Cornish fishing community, filled with nets, crab cages, wooden boxes, ropes and pulley systems. The shimmering backdrop that creates the sea is a stroke of genius, creating fluidity to the space in absence of actual water whilst also enabling the audience to see plot moments that take place on the sea.

The show is fronted by a small but mighty cast of 6 actor-musicians, joined by the onstage musical director Jamie Ross. They are all superbly talented in every instrument they come across with all of them playing at least 2 or 3 instruments each. A particular highlight is Zach Burn’s pulsating percussion playing on a variety of wooden crates. Annabelle Aquino and Tom Babbage play the two central characters, Merryn and Cadan, and are both a delight to watch. Aquino’s voice soars and is absolutely befitting of a Mermaid princess. She also finds great comedy in Merryn’s struggle to communicate when she loses her voice. Babbage is charming, funny and soulful as Cadan, and his moments of interaction with the audience are very wholesome. Zach Burns and Lucinda Freeburn play Merryn’s younger siblings Kitto and Senara, as well as a pair of bumbling smugglers. Burns, as Kitto, plays the adorable innocent younger brother, and I could feel the audience collectively smile everytime he was on stage. Freeburn plays a very sweet, concerned sister as Senara, but it is her role as one of the spacially unaware smugglers that gives the audience some of the best laughs of the show.

Rounding off the cast is Sophie Kamal as Granny Ocean/Granny Bessy and Christopher Staines as King Tarran/Captain Trelawney. Kamal gives as very Elphaba-esque performance as the magical Granny Ocean, dressed in a sweeping gown, waving her hands dramatically casting spells. As Granny Bessy she plays a concerned grandmother very well, but the character should have been present in the first act so that the audience had more time to get to know this important figure. Staines essentially plays the ‘father’ character twice in this show, but both characterisations are different enough to not be confusing, and his fatherly charm and smile warms the heart whenever he’s onstage.

The Little Mermaid hits every mark on the list for a great Christmas family show. A heartwarming story, beautiful music and lyrics and stunning set and costume design. It’s hard not to be enchanted by the beauty of this show, and it is a fantastic alternative to the often-expensive Disney fairy-tale musicals in the West End. In such a small, intimate theatre, children (and adults) can be more immersed in the storytelling and better able to see every detail put into this show. In short, it’s pure fairytale magic.

The Little Mermaid plays at the Watermill Theatre until January 4^th

For tickets and information visit https://www.watermill.org.uk/events/the-little-mermaid

Photos by Pamela Raith