The Little Mermaid

Northern Light Theatre Company’s production of The Little Mermaid transported me back to my childhood. I became a kid again, eagerly anticipating what would happen next and relishing the comedy and romance of this Disney classic!

First produced on Broadway in 2007, The Little Mermaid is based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name and the classic story by Hans Christian Anderson. On a side note, I have been told there is a Chinese fairy story almost identical except the little mermaid comes to a grizzly end.

For the very few readers who have not seen the animated feature, Ariel is intrigued with life on land. On one of her visits to the surface (which are forbidden by her father King Triton), she falls for a human prince. Determined to pursue her new love, Ariel makes a deal with the sea witch Ursula to become human for three days in exchange for losing her power to speak. But when plans go astray for the lovers, the king must make the ultimate sacrifice for his daughter.

Damon Hill’s production is cuteness overload in the nicest possible way! Hill has moulded his cast into faithful representations of their animated selves. What is remarkable is that not only did he direct, but designed the set, and along with Anne Humphries, designed the costumes and helped paint his creations.

Bec Mason’s orchestra, though a little shaky in the overture, quickly finds its feet and gives us the familiar Disney sound we all love without being obtrusive during dialogue passages. “If Only”, the quartet from act two, is a musical gem, vocally and orchestrally.

Sue Pole’s choreography is delightful in every way and perfectly matches the cast’s abilities. The tap dance sequence at the start of Act 2, “Positoovity”, is a crowd pleaser as is “Under the Sea”.

The main premise when watching any live show transferred from animation is that we believe the characters and forget that they are human and accept them as sea creatures. This is of course due partly to the talent of the performers, but in this production, it is enabled by the talent of Ann Humphries, who created and sourced the costumes that are a riot of colour and glittery splendour.

Melanie Cowmeadow’s Ariel is every little girl’s Disney princess. Her voice perfectly matches the Disney style and with the aid of a long red wig, embodies her animated self in every way.

Deon Martino-Williams is the archetypal Prince, gallant and with an effortless tenor range. His rendition of “Her Voice” is well handled.

Kristian Latella’s Sebastian, the court musician, is a Jamaican riot. He cleverly times his laughs and has the audience in the palm of his hand. His “Under the Sea” is a highlight.

Harry Ince’s Flounder, is appealing. We feel for him in his forlorn quest to win Ariel’s love. “She’s in Love” with the Mersisters is full of energy.

Michelle Davy’s Scuttle is a seagull on steroids! Right from her entrance at the top of the stage to the tap number “Positoovity” in act two she never slows and adds pace and vitality to every scene.

Frank Cwiertniak’s Grimbsy and Steve Mulady’s King Triton provide the ‘grown ups’ of the musical. While having differing views on raring children they are both devoted to their respective teenagers.

Karen Muller’s Ursula the sea-witch is evil personified. Tall, imposing and with a costume and makeup to die for she has the audience booing and impresses in her musical numbers, particularly “Poor Unfortunate Souls”.

Rhi Shapcott and Jess Goc-ong harmonise seductively as Flotsam and Jetsam, Ursula’s sea-snake henchmen.

Stephen Tulip’s Chef Louis brings the house down in his hysterical number “Les Poissons” complete with keystone cop-like assistant chefs.

The Mersisters (Kiera Turner, Liliana Carletti, Sash Elliott, Hannah Tulip, Billie Turner & Hannah Vandervlag) are a delightful counterpoint to Ariel, each with clearly defined characters and voices.

As often is the case, the chorus are the backbone of a production and this chorus is no exception, changing characters at the drop of a hat. Their backing of “Kiss the Girl” as assorted sea creatures was fascinating to watch.

Twenty-three scene changes place a drain in any production and while the production is full of pace, the changes often left us looking at an empty stage which resulted in a problem in sustaining the energy of the production from scene to scene. As good as the sound was, I found myself wanting more volume to be enveloped in the production.

The Little Mermaid is a captivating evening for young, not so young and those who would like to relive their childhood!

Barry Hill