The Little Mermaid Jr

My visit to The Little Mermaid Jr was my first time seeing a production from Congleton Amateur Youth Theatre. The first thing that caught my attention upon entering the Daneside Theatre was the large media wall along the back of the stage, and the use of rocks lined with gadgets and gizmos aplenty set in front of the proscenium arch. The visuals on the screen from the outset were so vibrant, bringing an authentic Disney energy to the auditorium.

Directors Olivia Gill and Mathilda Gill had a clear understanding of the show and the magic that comes along with it – which must be passed on to the audience. The bright colours and the large smiles of the cast went a long way to bring that to life. Throughout the show the blocking and use of levels was very effective, particularly the use of the platforms along the back to differentiate between land and sea when scenes called for this. Some favourite moments of mine were Ursula’s scenes and how they were made to feel so sinister through the lighting, imagery and choreography.

Olivia and Mathilda were also the brains behind the choreography for the production. The vision was clear and the use of different shapes and formations worked well to keep the visuals of the show interesting. Some of the ensemble numbers would have benefitted from higher energy levels from the cast in their performances but, nonetheless, the movement and choreography throughout was great. The idea to use 8 dancers for Poor Unfortunate Souls was very clever, each acting as one of Ursula’s tentacles. Great attention to detail and also continuity throughout, as they later pulled out fabric from Ursula’s costume to create a large octopus-like tableau.

Alex Williams was the musical director for this production and did an outstanding job. The show sounded great from start to finish with some impressive harmonies displayed, especially from the Meristers during “Daughters of Triton”. The show flowed really well musically, with the tracks all cued perfectly.

Visually, this production was very strong. A small amount of set was used, mostly relying on the animated backdrops for setting scenes. The ocean scenes worked very well with the boat and sail brought on, with the “gulls” appearing on a higher level behind, this was a very effective use of staging. However, some of the cast did not stick to the confines of the boat so the illusion was slightly broken at times. The animated backdrops and digital artwork were created by Simon Matthews who must be given praise for his work. The vibrant colours and cartoon-like imagery made the production feel very authentically Disney.

Cast were suitably lit throughout the show, with lighting cues being well timed. Darker lighting was used for the more sinister scenes featuring Ursula which was a nice touch. I found the sounds levels to be very good and well balanced throughout, with minimal mic issues so the cast could be heard well. The overall image and sound were good. Adding to the aesthetic of the show were the costumes which were filled with bright colours. For the most part the costumes were brilliant, the mermaid costumes hiding the casts feet but without restricting their movement, and Flounder’s hair and make up perfectly complimenting the costume! I did find that there were some costumes which were not as strong as others, however the overall look was great.

Taking on the title role of Ariel was Lily Bailey. Lily’s acting throughout was brilliant, very true to being a Disney Princess. She gave consistently strong facial expressions throughout, paired with larger exaggerated movements and gestures during the scenes where Ariel has lost her voice. I found Lily’s acting to be the strongest element of this performance. Alongside Lily was Louie Barnett in the role of Prince Eric. Louie gave a confident and believable performance with some lovely moments throughout. The pair played the relationship between Ariel and Prince Louie very well.

Bringing Sebastian to life was Arthur Wedgbury who gave a great performance – Under The Sea was a highlight of the show! Arthur’s comedy timing was spot on, and he stuck to the accent very well throughout. He had a great stage presence as a very “cheeky chap”. Pippa Brown performed excellently as Flounder, absolutely cute as a button which had the audience doting on her every word. She had great energy levels consistently and gave really clear diction with her dialogue. Very strong performances from both Arthur and Pippa – well done!

Scuttle was played by Charlie Gill who gave a very funny performance, getting the audience laughing in all the right places. Some dialogue was a little lost due to diction not being as strong in some sections as others, however this performance was full of energy and Charlie was completely committed to the role. Maddie Holford also had the audience tickled with her performance of Les Poissons as Chef Louis. Her timing and physicality in the number were brilliant. A standout moment of the show.

For me, Ronnie Sharpe-Woodcock completely stole the show. Delivery outstanding vocals with such power, and giving a great performance of the villain that is Ursula. Ronnie commanded the stage at all times with such a powerful presence. This was an excellent performance – well done!

The ensemble worked well to add vibrance to the scenes, performing with huge smiles. You could tell they were truly enjoying what they were doing, which is so important for amateur theatre! I must give special mention to Leah Owens, Chloe Furlong, Mia Alexander, Riley Shelmerdine, Emily Norris and Lilia Barnett for their performances as The Mersisters. Their harmonies were incredibly strong, and each of them delivered great individual vocals, along with a lot of sass and energy.

Overall, this was a great performance, and it was so lovely to see the young actors in the cast clearly loving every second on stage. Thank you to Congleton Amateur Youth Theatre for the invite and their kind hospitality, and I wish them the best of luck with their next production, Sister Act, to be performed in November 2026.

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