Book and Lyrics: Robyn Grant and Daniel Foxx
Music: Tim Gilvin
Director: Robyn Grant
Why can’t villains have a proper back story? This is the premise of Unfortunate – The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch. They have done it before on film with Disney villains with Cruella de Vil and Maleficent and onstage with The Wicked Witch in Wicked! Now, enter Ursula (or Ursula Squirt as we come to learn) in this alternate telling of The Little Mermaid.
This is a show that throws as much colour and camp under the sea as it possibly can. Unfortunate is a musical-come-drag-show-come-pantomime extravaganza with all the puns intended. With a 16+ age recommendation, be warned, do not confuse this show as a little extra The Little Mermaid! Beginning life with a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival in 2019 its momentum was quashed by the pandemic but it has bounced back bigger and has been touring number one venues throughout 2024. Unapologetically outrageous Ursula gets pushed front and centre into the, often problematic, plot of Eric and Ariel’s love story originally brought to life by Disney in 1989.
Rejoicing in all things diva Shawna Hamic owns the stage as Ursula and, of course, is the heroine of this version of events. The majority of the first half is taken up by the exploration of the back story between Triton (Thomas Lowe) and herself. From the film we are only afforded a glimpse that Ursula was banished from his palace at some point in the past. The reason why is where the creatives of this show, Robyn Grant, Daniel Foxx and Tim Gilvin, pick up the gauntlet – or trident to be more precise. We join Triton and Ursula as children and as teenagers, growing up together and falling in love; he enchanted by her black magic. However, on coming of age and when he chooses her as his future bride, Triton’s father steps in, sets her up and banishes her from Atlantica. Cut to a couple of decades later and Disney’s story kicks in but Eric and Ariel’s story pales into the depths against that of Ursula and Triton.
Creators Grant, Foxx and Gilvin have enormous fun in poking Disney’s much-loved film. It does feel it is done with love rather than cruelty but it does seem incredible that Disney’s lawyers haven’t come knocking. With a score paying homage to Alan Menken’s original there are many in jokes for fans. In particular, Ask the Girl, (a parody of Kiss the Girl), very cleverly becomes as lesson on consent rather than love. We Didn’t Make It To Disney is another enjoyable number about the sea creatures perhaps not aesthetically pleasing enough to make it to celluloid all puppeteered to Abby Clarke’s neon design. However, the clever lyrics seem to have been lost in the sound balance in this performance.
With a busy ensemble cast, Unfortunate whizzes through the familiar story after the interval. As Ariel, River Medway (star of RuPaul’s Drag Race) injects a very funny performance into the traditionally innocent character. There is nothing at all innocent about this Ariel! Her interest in the human world is not fuelled by anything other than her desire to discover male appendages. With a strong Essex accent and outrageous crassness there is an immediate juxtaposition to the sweet red-haired girl we are used to. As buffoonish Triton, Thomas Lowe, struts the stage with pomp and stupidity and with a great number, To Be King, to revel in. Shawna Hamic is excellent as Ursula, bringing sass and female empowerment with a party atmosphere. Special mention within the ensemble cast must go to Allie Dart who multi rolls between Sebastian, Flotsam (one of the gay eels!) and the French Chef. She has numerous quick changes, impeccable comic timing and never seems to be offstage.
For those familiar with the original film and the recent live action remake, Unfortunate is a show that has many satisfying punchlines. As a show in general it tries to recreate what Wicked did to The Wizard of Oz. Whilst it succeeds on many levels it does lack the killer catchy pop song. Rather the parody relies on the pastiche of the original song. Clever as it is there is little to stick in the memory to hum on the way home. Big, loud and bold Unfortunate is certainly designed to make a splash and, much like Ariel herself, will have legs for years to come.
Runs until 6th April, before continuing on tour.
