Once On This Island
19-year-old Thalia Osegueda Santas was plucked out of 300 odd video auditions to score the lead role of Ti Moune in this joyous musical, and with a spin and twirl of her long locks dazzled the opening night audience.
In a node to The Little Mermaid, Ti Moune is found washed up on a beach, and raised by a poor family in the French West Indies.
By chance she meets her rich boy – Daniel (Alexander Tye) who lives in a posh hotel. On this island the “pale brown skin” wealthy with their French ways, look down on the peasants who are described as “black as night.”
Daniel is driving around the island in a car, which is beautifully signified by a steering wheel and a few of the parts including the headlights, when he crashes.
This brings him into the world of Ti Moune. She does a deal with the Gods to save his life.
First staged on Broadway in 1990, Once On This Island was revived in 2017 where it won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
It gives the opportunity for a wonderfully diverse cast and the whole ensemble included performers from a delicious mix of indigenous, Māori, Tongan, Filipina and Mauritius backgrounds.
Brittanie Shipway, directing her first major musical, pulled together a fast-paced enchanting production.
Choreographer Leah Howard imbued the dancing with a sense of joy. The highlight was in the song ‘Timoune’s Dance’. The upper crust looks down on the peasant girl, but she soon woos them with her passionate free flowing sways that become infectious.
Dylan Pollard led a tight four-piece band of the score which has a rich tropical flavour.
The set design by Nick Fry surrounded the stage with raised wooden crates and plantation shutters that cleverly transformed into the front gate of the hotel.
Costumes designer Rita Naidu had a rich range of characters to dress including Gods, and native birds, and filled the palate with a rich range of colour, that was nicely lit by Véronique Bennet.
The leads Tye and Santos had a nice chemistry and were surrounded by a strong ensemble.
Paula Parore (Asaka) and Googoorewon Knox (Agwe) were charismatic with Rebecca Verrier (Papa Ge) terrifying as the character based on the Hans Christian Andersen’s Sea Witch.
Sydney is lucky to have two extraordinary productions inspired by The Little Mermaid at the Opera House (Rusulka) and in the Hayes at the same time.
David Spicer
Photographer: David Hooley.
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