The Little Mermaid at Bristol Old Vic – review

Christmas seasons can often feel like they’re on a loop. The same fairy tales are popping up in our theatres, Brian Conley turning panto into his fiefdom, A Christmas Carol giving out festive joy time after time as Scrooge sees the error of his ways. The long tendrils of Covid have made this loop even wider as this production of A Little Mermaid, directed by former Bristol Old Vic young person director and Tony Award nominee Miranda Cromwell, was originally slated for 2020. Was it worth the wait? Well, partially.

It certainly succeeds in bringing sprinklings of theatrical magic to the stage. Aerialist Holly Downey’s routines are spellbinding, her circus artistry slotting seamlessly with the aesthetic around her. As Liana Cottrill and John Leader ascend and descend on wires, the sense of the sea as a cavernous universe of wonders is delicately shown, the sense of time disconnected when you plunge under the waves conveyed as time stands still. Along with designer Ruby Pugh and lighting designer Zeynep Kepekli, Cromwell has crafted an enchanted world in which to play.

Yet, this means the book by Sonali Bhattacharyya can feel incongruous with the world it’s set in. Stuck somewhere between the jokes and silliness of a traditional Christmas show, the magic of the setting, and an earnest message about ecological disaster, it ends up plonking itself somewhat awkwardly beside all of them. The sense of drift the ocean can evoke is also a metaphor for the narrative, in truth, very little happens over its two hours of stage time. The real terror of oil spills in the ocean is enough to give us all pause, on stage though, it doesn’t generate enough peril. The mountain our protagonists must climb is a moderate incline rather than a dangerous peak. It’s certainly a Christmas offering for the 21st century, I just wish it had studied the shows from the past a little bit more.

What it does have going for it though is a fantastic cast giving their all. Cottrill, who grew up and trained in the city, is rapidly developing into a name to watch. As Sereia, the mermaid of the tale, she is all warmth, power, goofy charm, and charisma. Just over a year after graduation, she holds the stage with consummate grace, a leading performance that suggests bigger things ahead. Leader as her human love interest Kai, is endearingly nerdy, preparing DJ sets for the fishes and finding himself completely out of his depth when he comes face to face with the mermaid of his dreams.

The rest of the cast have great fun multi-rolling, Alison Fitzjohn bringing her customary comedic excellence as both a sea turtle and the villain Inky Slick, producing stage screams galore with tongue out like Paul Stanley from Kiss on a particularly banging day. Corrina Buchan is great value as the American heiress to an oil fortune as is Michael Elcock as the smooth CEO and a pregnant male seahorse. Nandi Bhebhe as Coral, sings sensationally, her rich vocals lending their majesty to proceedings.

Femi Temowo’s compositions are effective at conveying a sunny climate though are not natural earworms. This is a show halfway to magic in its production but grounded by a book that doesn’t quite hit the same magical highs. A worthwhile, earnest message given a beautiful staging by the past, present, and future of Bristol theatre.