Disney’s The Little Mermaid

Given the inherent limitations of youth theatre, this production of Disney’s  The Little Mermaid is an impressively staged, delightfully spirited affair. Those adults who retain affection for the source material, and are willing to be generous enough in their suspension of disbelief to accept performers playing above their age, will be rewarded with a musically accomplished and emotionally astute rendition of this comfortably familiar piece. Children who come to see this will be rewarded with an intelligent production that does not talk down to them.

Clearly made on a relatively low budget, many of the sets and costumes take an impressionistic approach to establishing The Little Mermaid’s underwater world and its fishy inhabitants. Nevertheless, they are consistently striking in their use of colour, as are the various props. The subtly nuanced lighting design is also impressive, ensuring that the production does have a visually arresting magic to it, despite obvious budget limitations.

Alan Menken’s irrepressibly catchy score gets a lively workout from musical director, Deborah Brennan, and choreographer, Shenayde Wilkinson-Sarti ensures the accompanying dance sequences are equally energetic. Some of the larger numbers seem overly crowded, possibly motivated by the desire to give as many people involved in the company a part as possible, a common Youth Theatre convention. That said, the skilful use of the theatre’s aisles to expand the dance space means this isn’t as problematic as it could have been.

It’s the precociously talented cast that really carry the show. Imala Konyn’s Ariel has just the right mix of winsome spunk and wide-eyed innocence, combined with a voice of sublime, crystalline clarity. What Connor Olsson-Jones lacks in vocal power he makes up for in gormless charm as Prince Eric. The two have such an endearingly sweet chemistry it really isn’t too much to imagine that they’d need to get married after knowing each other for only three days.

The supporting cast – including Benji Riggs as a pessimistic crab, Luke Wolianskyj as an optimistic seagull, Sahra Cresshull as an overly enthusiastic chef and Georgia Bolton as a vampy sea witch – steal scenes with great comedic flair. “Special Guest Adult”, Andrew Crispe, brings poignant gravitas to the role of Ariel’s (arguably) overprotective father, King Triton and Gemma Dandie also has some surprisingly touching moments as Ariel’s friend and confidante, Flounder.

Most of the principal roles will be played by different performers on alternate nights, one hopes that the secondary cast are as accomplished as the stellar opening night lineup.  

Benjamin Orchard