The Little Mermaid

Centenary Theatre Company were back at the Brindley with their production of the Disney classic, ‘The Little Mermaid’, directed by Dan Grimes. This was a colourful production, with a large video screen dominating the stage. This was used to great effect throughout this production; with additional items of set being brought on to further enhance locations. It was great to see a junior chorus involved, giving them invaluable performing experience. The pace was generally good throughout, with a slight hiccup with the boat in ‘Kiss the Girl’. There were some lovely directorial choices from Dan, including the jellyfish entering through the auditorium in ‘Under the Sea’, to the bubbles filling the theatre during the same number. The transitions under the sea using the different sea creatures was a lovely touch. The costumes were very good. They were colourful and full of texture. The sea creature costumes were particularly effective.

Simon Pickup was the musical director for ‘The Little Mermaid’. The vocals from the cast were strong, particularly when they all sang in unison. There were some lovely harmonies throughout, especially in the Mersisters’ songs.

Kirstin Dunn was the choreographer for ‘The Little Mermaid’. The choreography was fun and playful, which is what this production calls for. Having to choreograph numbers involving performers on Heelys is no mean feat, but Kirstin created some fun choreography with this. Some numbers that stand out in terms of the choreography were ‘Under the Sea’ and ‘Kiss the Girl’.

Technical elements were well integrated into this production. The video wall was a fantastic way to capture both under the sea and the world above. The animations created were breath-taking, and a great nod to the animated version. There was a small technical issue with the video wall at one point when it lost some of the picture, but this was quickly resolved. The lighting design was very good, with blue movers being used for under the sea, giving the audience the feeling of waves. Warmer colour tones were used for the world above, with purples and greens being used for Ursula’s lair. The lighting added so much to each scene. The sound balance between the cast and the music was very good throughout.

Taking on the role of Ariel was Poppy Williams. This was a very good performance from Poppy, who captured Ariel’s fascination with humans very well. Her vocals were lovely, and delivered a great vocal with ‘Part of Your World’. Poppy has such an expressive face that she used to great effect in the second act when Ariel had lost her voice.

Ben Vaughan complimented Poppy’s Ariel as Prince Eric. This was a convincing performance from Ben, who developed a good partnership with Poppy. Ben’s vocals were very good, and there was a very good characterisation from Ben as the prince who would rather be a sailor.

The audience loved Andrew Dunn as Sebastian. Andrew’s vocals were good and he was able to show his exasperation towards Ariel. Andrew threw himself into this role, scuttling around the stage. There were good comedic moments from Andrew, especially in ‘Les Poissons’.

Rosie Shields was fantastic as the sea-witch, Ursula. This was a totally commanding performance from Rosie, with a powerful vocal, which was a joy to listen to. The characterisation was spot-on. This was one of the standout performances of this production.

Jo Lee and Kit Phillips proved to be a very good double act as Flotsam and Jetsam. They worked so well together, and operated their puppets incredibly well, using their whole bodies. They both worked well with Rosie, and both impressed with their vocals.

Phil Dean offered good support as King Triton. Phil had a great sense of authority in this role. It was also nice to see a softer side to the character, which Phil managed to get across. This was a pleasing performance.

Jessie Scotson provided light-hearted relief as Scuttle. There was great commitment to the character, both vocally and physically. Jessie led the chorus line of gulls very well in ‘Positoovity’, which was well performed.

Kenneth McConaghy put in a good cameo performance as Grimsby. He displayed his loyalty to Prince Eric well, as well as providing some funny moments, especially with the sea-sickness on the boat.

Jonas Rynn was great as Flounder. He displayed his affection for Ariel well, and he had some great facial reactions, especially when accidentally telling everyone about Ariel. He worked well with the Mersisters in ‘She’s in Love’.

Beth Warburton fully committed to the fish obsessed chef, Chef Louis. She threw herself into the role with an over-the-top French accent and good vocals.

The ensemble were very good throughout in various guises both under the sea and the world above. They particularly shone as the sea creatures in the big ensemble numbers, ‘Under the Sea’ and ‘Kiss the Girl’. It was great to see the junior chorus, who all looked to be having the time of their lives on stage.

Overall, this was a good production, with a fantastic visual set, good performances, and a strong ensemble of sea creatures.

Thank you to Centenary Theatre Company for their warm welcome and kind hospitality. All the best for your next production.

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