Meow Meow's Little Mermaid

When you take a highly intelligent, very beautiful and multi-talented performer and give her free range over her own creation, you would expect the results to be spectacular and, for the most part, they are.

Meow Meow has re-invented European cabaret in her own image, and her own mind, which is where this show takes place, as she tells us “I live in an “And Also” world” – a place where most of us have never been. It’s chaotic, poignant, insecure and hilariously funny. Meow Meow hangs the show on the very slight premise of Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid and her search for happiness in one perfect man (there’s an oxymoron), and fills it with symbolism from other stories – all about the sacrifices a girl makes in pursuit of love. To see Meow Meow stagger about the stage on pointe in one red ballet shoe and one glittering stiletto is to experience comic genius; to witness her appearing from the deep with her fish tail over her head instead of her feet will defy you not to laugh out loud; to watch her construct someone who will love her from the broken pieces of old mannequins will move you; to hear that incredible voice – which could sing opera – soar through the original songs of Megan Washington, Ian Grandage and the like, is spine tingling.

Michael Kantor’s direction is light and whimsical – he knows when to rein his star in and when to let her fly (or swim in flippers)….sometimes quite literally…above the stage. The Siren Effect Orchestra is quite fabulous, and their marvellous entrance, shielding the star (whose frantic admonishments of “you’re blocking, you’re blocking!” are the first belly laugh of the night) is just delightful. Chris Ryan, as both the blue collar worker checking the wiring, and Meow Meow’s fantasy Prince, is totally convincing in the first instance, and shows great vocal and comic ability as the latter. Anna Cordingley’s set is a marvellous platform (literally) for the star’s talents and Paul Jackson’s lighting design is quite marvellous and integral to the show. And yet…..

Though Meow Meow gives her adoring audience 110%, it still feels there was potential that wasn’t realised, storytelling that wasn’t developed, and brilliance that was born prematurely. A stronger through-line, perhaps more attention to the script itself, the realisation of actually saying something PROFOUND amidst the laughter would make this show even more impressive. For example…. Meow Meow’s shtick includes crowd-surfing through the audience. It’s quite marvellous but currently serves no real purpose. It could though, if she were pursuing the perfect man – who was checking out wiring in the auditorium, and the only way the Little Mermaid could catch him was by surfing through the audience….only to find, poignantly, she couldn’t catch up to him. And the realisation of finding a perfect love that would never leave her in the closing moments, might be better realised by looking in a mirror…..but these are simply on a wish list. The truth is that Meow Meow’s brilliance is so dazzling that some, like myself, hunger to see just how far she can push it. Entertainment that can thrill us, yet also prick our consciousness and spark debate, is a rare animal. Meanwhile, just enjoy and be dazzled.

Coral Drouyn

Photographer: Pia Johnson