Catch this magical Cornish Tale

Watermill's actor/musicians bring a 'delightful' West Coutnry vibe to The Little Mermaid

The Watermill theatre is a magical place at Christmas. This year’s festive production is a brand new adaption of The Little Mermaid by Elgiva Field and Lara Barbier with music and lyrics by Amie Parsons.

Now set as a Cornish folk tale in Penwith, it tells the story of a young mermaid, Merryn, a feisty Annabelle Aquino, who is about to celebrate her 18th birthday and is granted a wish from her father, Taran the king of the sea (Christopher Staines).

She longs to break free from her undersea world and experience life on land, but that means leaving her younger brother, Kitto (Zach Burns), and her sister, Serina (Lucinda Freeburn).

When Kitto goes missing in a sea storm, he is captured by hapless smugglers. She makes a deal with the sea-witch, Granny Ocean (Sophie Kamal), to trade her voice for legs and is allowed three days to find him or she will forever return to the sea as merely foam.

Local fisherman Cadan (Tom Babbage) has also been tossed into the sea by the storm as his boat is sunk, but thankfully is rescued by Merryn, who teaches her how to communicate with people using mime with some hilarious results. There is also a growing relationship developing between the two of them. But will she find her brother, and will she return to the sea leaving Cadan?

The cast are all highly multi-talented actor-musicians, playing a wide variety of instruments creating a West Country folk music genre, and accomplished singers, with Annabelle Aquino excelling. Jamie Ross is the onstage musical director.

April Dalton’s multi-level, atmospheric set is a work of art filled with nautical bric-a-brac and fishing nets and a shimmering backdrop that links the undersea world to the land. There is even snow. The mermaids' costume designs are convincing and allow the undersea actors to gently float in the currents.

Algiva Fields’s inventive direction is impressive, beautifully capturing the whimsical nature of the writing.

This delightful production is ideal for all the family. The youngsters were all enthralled and loved the cheeky seagull puppet. Do go!

ROBIN STRAPP