Casting announced for Mermaid UK tour

Casting has been announced for the world première of Mermaid, a modern re-imagining of Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy story of The Little Mermaid by award-winning theatre company Shared Experience.

Mermaid – conceived, created and directed by Polly Teale – continues Nottingham Playhouse's ten-year relationship with Shared Experience,

Joining Natalie Gavin (The Crucible – Old Vic) and Polly Frame (Arcadia – Tobacco Factory), are Ritu Arya (A Fire of Small Virtues – Arcola Theatre), Finn Hanlon (War Horse – National Tour), Miranda Mac Letten (The Drowned Man – Punchdrunk), Steve North (War Horse – RNT/West End), Amka Okafor (Glasgow Girls – Glasgow Citizens and Stratford East) and Sarah Twomey (professional debut). Design is by Tom Piper, who recently designed Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London.

The production involves recruiting young women between the age of 14 to 20 to perform on stage and create the sound of the mermaids' magical singing. In each of the cities the tour is visiting, Shared Experience is searching for a chorus of young women who will work with the company and become part of the production. The heart of the play explores coming of age and sexual awakening, and its themes centre on self-image and identity.

Mermaid's young 'mermaids' will also take part in a nationwide project that accompanies the show that looks at the effect of the media on girl's sense of self and empowers them to challenge myths about femininity.

Mermaid opens in Nottingham and tours to Leeds, Mold, Richmond, Cardiff, Southampton, Edinburgh, Watford and Oxford from 13 March to 23 May 2015.