The Little Mermaid

It had been a long time desire of Hannah and Hugh to put on a production of The Little Mermaid and were delighted when the group were given the rights to perform the Scottish Amateur premiere of the piece. Not an easy task, given that no adjustments had been made to the script for the amateurs and given the constrictions of the size of the stage in the venue, but one which they rose to magnificently. The set looked relatively simple (though in fact wasn’t!) and was brightly coloured - full marks must be given to the stage crew for their handling of the larger pieces and their smooth handling of the flying sequences. The costuming too was bold and bright leaving you in no doubt of the species of the characters – those of Sebastian, Ursula, King Triton and Scuttle particularly standing out. Kirsten Rennie as Ariel was the perfect Disney Princess – beautiful but headstrong and with a glorious voice shown to it’s best in “Part of Your World” and “If Only” - it is no wonder that Prince Eric was captivated! Prince Eric was played by 6th year Academy pupil Paul Chalmers – his maturity and strength in playing the role belied his years. Lewis Moggach as Sebastian the Crab – resplendent in red from head to toe – elicited much laughter and his rendition of the calypso-esque “Under the Sea” along with the ensemble was a delight and one of the highlights. So too did Mallory Black as Scuttle the Gull and her rendition of “Positoovity” – along with her troupe of tap-dancing gulls - was a hoot and a showstopper! Lauren MacAskill was clearly relishing playing the devilish sea witch Ursula with a suitably evil cackle and good strong stage presence in her tentacled black and purple costume. Neil Bell-Forsyth as King Triton (Ariel’s over protective but loving father) was a commanding figure at his every appearance complete with crown and trident. Strong support was given by young Lily Chapman as Ariel’s friend Flounder, Ewan Campbell as the Prince’s guardian and factotum Grimsby, Elizabeth Ingram and Alicia Riddell as Ursula’s electric eel sidekicks Flotsam and Jetsam, Sarah McWilliam as the hilariously french Chef Louis and Ariel’s Mersisters played by Ellen Fairbairn, Andi Ingram, Kenna Johnston, Molly Riddell and Carrie Simpson. The company singing and movement in the ensemble numbers was excellent. The 15 piece orchestra, under the leadership of Hugh Johnstone, was flawless and, though they were large in numbers, never overpowered the singing. Congratulations to everyone involved on a beautifully presented production.

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