Christmas has gone undersea for 2025, with productions of The Little Mermaid in Nottingham, Hull and Newcastle. This one, at the Watermill, is presented in the theatre’s trademark actor-musician style, with the script illuminated by cheery live folk music played on stage. There’s even some snow thrown in for festive good measure.
The story is relocated to Cornwall in this short and sweet adaptation by Elgiva Field and Lara Barbier. Following the basic structure of Hans Christian Andersen’s original, it narrates the tale of a sea girl (here called Merryn) who longs to experience life onshore. In this version, it is when her younger brother Kitto (a very charming Zach Burns) goes missing that Merryn is compelled to make a deal with a sea witch named Granny Ocean, trading her voice for a pair of legs.
