London Underbelly Festival – until 12 August
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
4****
Metta Theatre’s Circus Musical is a magical adaptation of The Little Mermaid that thankfully owes more to the Hans Christian Anderson original (without all the immortal soul moralising) than the saccharine Disney version.
The Underbelly Spiegeltent is transformed into the underwater world effortlessly not through fancy sets or effects, but by subtle and evocative sound effects and the graceful movements of the mermaid sisters as they tumble around the stage and use the aerial hoop to simulate their freedom and buoyancy.
On her 16th birthday, Little (Tilly Lee-Kronick) can finally rise to the surface to see the world of men, and instantly falls in love with a man she saves from a shipwreck. Wanting to be with him, and against her sisters’ advice, she makes a deal with the evil seawitch, exchanging her voice for legs, joining her beloved on the land and hoping for a happily ever after. Writer and director Poppy Burton-Morgan has ensured that Little is a bold, headstrong but ultimately compassionate heroine, and includes plenty of empowering moments. The brilliant “He’ll Only Love You If You’re Perfect” is a sharp, scathing and very funny commentary on expectations of female beauty, performed with glee and panache by Rosalind Ford. The pain she feels and the blood that pours from the mermaid’s feet as she walks in Anderson’s tale are represented in stark colour as red ballet shoes are forced on Little’s feet, and her wobbling first steps and dance are sweet, funny and horrible at the same time.
The seawitch (Josh Frazer) is as far away from the Disney octopus as you could hope for, with voluminous collar and frills resembling a jellyfish. The use of the cyr wheel is hypnotic and the finality of the spell as the wheel smashes to the floor made a lot of the audience jump. The juggling, acrobatics and aerial work could overpower a weaker story, but the circus aspects fit seamlessly and keep the narrative flowing. The music and lyrics by Matt Devereaux and Poppy Burton-Morgan are mostly jolly folk/theatre numbers that match the tone of the show, and the talented cast sing and play instruments. The vocals are a little variable, with Rosalind Ford being the standout, but when the singers are performing acrobatics at the same time, all is forgiven. At one point there’s a violin solo from Aelfwyn Shipton as she spins around hanging upside down from the aerial ring!
This is a captivating, often breathtakingly magical production that has the perfect blend of humour, jeopardy, sacrifice and redemption to delight any discerning child, and will charm and astonish adults too. The Little Mermaid is a wonderful, offbeat family treat – a wonderful way to spend a Summer afternoon.