Review: Stunning performances in Mermaid at Nottingham Playhouse

Yesterday evening we were treated to a performance of Mermaid at Nottingham Playhouse. Knowing Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of Little Mermaid we had high expectations and we were certainly not disappointed as the actors gave a stunning performance, especially Polly Frame who played several roles throughout including mother of the prince and grandmother of Little Mermaid. The Prince himself (played by Finn Hanlon) also put on a wonderful performance and an admirable mention goes also to Sarah Twomey in her professional debut as the Little Mermaid. We were enthralled by the music and dance throughout the play. Composer and sound designer Jon Nicholls used a choir of local young women to create a magical musical experience, taking the audience to the mystical world of Mermaids. The music compositions were beautiful and attractive enough to make some members of the audience hum and sing them at the end of the show. The movement director Liz Ranken also did a great job on choreography arrangement, incorporating modernity  into imitation of fish-like movements of the mermaids. We thoroughly enjoyed the play and its modern twist. Writer and director Polly Teale took the tale of Little Mermaid to our times and faced it with the problems of modern day society, such as pollution, war, anorexia or depression to name a few. The Prince and Little Mermaid resembled William and Catherine although the characters in the play struggled more with their happy ending. Mermaid is on at Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday. For details, including booking tickets, visit the website.