Great family entertainment

The Little Mermaid by Coasters Theatre at Southwards theatre 🌟🌟🌟1/2

The story of the Little Mermaid is well known especially for parents and anyone born after 1990. I don’t fit into either category, but knew the basics. What will you trade for love? There is a lot to like in this production and a few things that slightly missed the mark for me. In a venue as large as this, sound plays an important part and is a necessary evil. There were some issues, most notably when Ursula was about to deliver her number “poor unfortunate souls” where her mic stopped working altogether meaning this powerful number was diminished. Sera Devcich as Ursula was the absolute standout and commanded the stage whenever she appeared. Kyra Basabas was a very sweet Ariel and had a beautiful voice. Seth Leslie was also quite engaging as Prince Eric. Special mention must also go to Rob Arnold (with a former number 1 boy band single under his belt) who led the number of the night as the seagull Scuttle. The tap number was so fun and energetic that you couldn’t help but smile and it was a great way to start the second half. The costuming was of a high standard especially for community theatre. Whoever looked after that deserves a round of applause!

There was excellent use of the LED screen which should have made scene changes a breeze, but sometimes items were brought on that seemed unnecessary and held up the transitions. The Pantoloons use projection to great effect and use minimal other set dressing. It works well. Singing overall was of a high standard, though some of the acting was a bit stiff. Overall I think this was a really fun night out and the time didn’t drag, that’s always a mark of a good show. The children that were in the audience absolutely loved it and that’s what it’s all about.