THE LITTLE MERMAID: Andersen, Lakeside, Nottingham till 24 December

Nottingham

THE LITTLE MERMAID
by Hans Christian Andersen

Lakeside Arts Centre: To 24 December 2006
Runs: 55m: no interval: till 24th December
Performance times: 10.30am 13-15, 19, 20-22 Dec
12.30pm 16, 17, 23 and 24 Dec
1.30pm 13, 14, 15, 19, 21 and 22
3.30pm 16, 17, 23 and 24 Dec
6.30pm 16 and 23 Dec
Audio described 1.30pm 14 Dec
BSL Signed 1.30pm 13 Dec
Runs 55min No interval

TICKETS: 0115 846 7777
www.lakesidearts.org.uk
Review: Alan Geary: 12 December 2006

Don’t take the tinies to this one expecting a bundle of laughs: it’s not a pantomime.
Although there are some “look behind you” moments near the start, and a bit of initial slapstick arising from competition between Flotsam (Amy McAllister) and Jetsam (Philip Dinsdale) over who’s going to tell the story, this co-production between London's Polka Theatre and York Theatre Royal doesn’t dodge Hans Christian Andersen's original. What with sailors drowning and a tongue being cut out, it’s sometimes a grisly affair; and the ending is sad.

Because it’s a fairy story it faces up to and reflects the inescapable downside of real life, of which death is a part. To gain the love of a human prince the Mermaid sacrifices what she most values, but all in vain. Ultimately she perishes.

Occasionally it might not be clear to a child whether the actors are playing the story-tellers, Flotsam and Jetsam, or whether they’re acting parts in the story; at various times they do both.

The glittering under-water set complete with bits of wrecked galleon is cluttered and beautiful; most children will delight in it. A lot of adults will appreciate the mostly French background music; drawn from the thirties and forties, it includes that famous Charles Trenet recording of La Mer.

There are only ever two people on stage and there’s a good deal of not especially expert miming; special effects and props are somewhat lean. What’s more, it’s nearly an hour long without an interval. It’s therefore demanding in terms of a child’s attention and imagination. But this is no bad thing. The visual and moral experience involved in seeing this will enrich the mind of all but the most jaded child.

Flotsam: Amy McAllister
Jetsam: Philip Dinsdale

Director: Asha Kahlon
Designer: Karen Tennent
Lighting: Judith Cloke
Composer: Ivan Stott

2006-12-12 23:43:23