What is Unfortunate about?
We all know Ursula, right? If not, have a word with your parents about them denying you The Little Mermaid as a child. This show however is definitely not for children! It’s a crude and filthy look at things from Ursula’s perspective. It's time to find out what really happened 'under the sea', turning the story we thought we knew on its head!
Unfortunate began thrilling audiences a few years ago and has progressed from a 70-minute piece to a fully-fledged 2-hour production. Having just finished another successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe, it has now come to the Lowry in Salford where I caught it on opening night.
What did I think?
I'll admit it, as a child my favourite Disney film was always 'The Little Mermaid' and 'Ursula' my favourite villain. As such, this show could have gone either way for me, especially as I have all but given up hope of a West End transfer of the 2008 Broadway musical! Luckily, I absolutely loved Unfortunate at the Lowry.
For those of you not familiar with the Lowry, it houses two theatres: The Lyric (1,730 seats) and The Quays (466 seats). This production was housed in the latter more intimate theatre which suited the show perfectly. The minimalist set with its rippling 'sea' of tinsel would have lost its charm in a larger house. Details like 'Liveus Laughus Loveum' on the banners at the beginning of the show confirmed that this show was a perfect fit for the current reign of 'hun culture' and I was absolutely there for it!
Let's get something clear from the outset, this is an absolute 'bopathon' of a musical. With undertones of the original score, it has some wickedly funny songs which really made the audience howl. I couldn't stop laughing at the parody of 'Part of Your World' that makes clear what Ariel was really looking for above the surface. This version wouldn't have been out of place in a drag show down the road in Manchester's gay village.
It would have been easy to just parody the film/story alone, however they took it that step further when addressing Walt Disney's alleged fascist views in 'We Didn't Make It to Disney'. Unfortunate didn't stop there, poking fun at other musicals with the end of 'To Be King' giving 'Defying Gravity' vibes with its sustained end note with accompanying chorus. Triton even lifts his Trident to the sky at the end as if it were Elphaba's broom!
Allie Dart really stole the show with her hilariously camp portrayal of Ursula Squirt (I did tell you it wasn't for children). Despite only having a day to fully rehearse for the role because of cast illness, she absolutely killed it with her comedic timing and powerful lungs. Never has 'the show must go on' felt truer, a reminder of how much I love theatre. The audience fell in love with her the second she arrived with the words 'Surprise Bitch' in the song Nasty.
It didn't rely solely on Ms Squirt for the laughs, Ariel was reimagined and played to perfection by Miracle Chance. Reinventing her as a dumb Essex girl, this could have been seen as just lazy mocking the 'Love Island generation'. However, this was instead done to poke fun at the original story. This character choice demonstrated how ridiculous it is to have a story based on a woman trying to attract a partner through her looks alone, and that she doesn't need to have any sort of voice to do so. Like Book of Mormon, they manage to get away with almost absurd humour by having a more important message underneath and they do it to perfection.
The clever use of puppetry was used well to bring all sorts of sea creatures to life by members of the cast and cannot be ignored. It really gets the puppetry right, unlike a lot of bigger shows where it can be distracting. If Ursula wasn't the star of the show, then her costume was, designed by Cory Shipp. Looking more animated than the cartoon itself, thick juicy tentacles swayed from Ursula's waist as she sauntered across the seabed. I say tasty, but no one under the sea would DARE try to eat Ursula, although she may try and eat some of our most beloved characters from the film!
This musical gave me exactly what I was hoping for, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who wants a fun evening out with an octo-feminist icon!
Where can I catch it?
Having just finished another successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe, it has now come to the Lowry in Salford Quay's in full show form where I caught it. It is here until Saturday 10 September before continuing a short tour of the UK. See below link for full details.