Blackpool Grand – until 25 May 2024
Reviewed by Debra Skelton
5*****
The Little Mermaid takes me back to when my daughter was little where all the focus was on Ariel (she was a miniature version of her) but have you ever wondered more about who Ursula, the Sea Witch is and what shenanigans she was up to before meddling into Ariel’s life. If the answer is yes, then get yourself down to the Grand Theatre Blackpool before Saturday 25th May 2024 to watch the musical parody Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch.
This musical has ridden the wave of Edinburgh fringe success, with book and lyrics by Grant and Daniel Foxx and directed by the talented Robyn Grant who played the lead in the show’s original production.
We get to explore the backstory of Ursula and her relationship with Triton and how his father framed her for a murder and banished her from the palace. It then continues 20 years later when Triton asks for her help with his daughter Ariel with Ursula stealing her voice so Arial can live as a human girl for three days to woo Prince Eric. It shows that the reason for stealing Ariel’s voice was actually to teach the hapless mermaid an important lesson in independence.
Without a doubt, the shining pearl of the show is its cast. Shawna Hamic (from Orange is the New Black) as Ursula blends humour and fierceness and is an absolute force of nature with phenomenal vocals to boot. River Medway (from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK) is a fabulously air-headed Ariel who sings her heart out about her insatiable desires. Thomas Lowe (Manchester born and West End star) as Triton whose presence on stage could not and should not be missed. The rest of the cast were outstanding including Jamie Mawson as Eric but particularly Allie Dart and Julian Capolei who leap between characters and accents non-stop throughout the production.
Special thanks also need to go to Abby Clarke for vibrant coloured campy costumes, inventive puppets and props that creates an underwater world that’s as whimsical as it is wicked. Melody Sinclair for the wonderful choreography and Adam King and Lucy Baker-Swinburn for the lighting and sounds that worked together to immerse the audience in Ursula’s dark waters.
I have to say, this musical is an hilarious, campy ride that had me hooked from the first moment Ursula swam onto the stage with all the sass and spark you would expect from a fabulous sea witch. Unfortunate is everything you could want in a musical parody and more. It is quirky and clever, with a cast that’s as talented as they are hilarious.