REVIEW | Unfortunate
Written by Bronagh
Disclaimer: gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
Ursula is one of the most iconic Disney villains, despite actually not having much screen time in The Little Mermaid, so it was only right that she became the subject of her very own stage show. Elphaba has had her moment, and so have Cruella and Maleficent, so now it is time for Ursula’s take on what happened all those years ago. This is all while throwing some impressive moves and absolute bangers into the mix.
We start with a young Ursula, discovering that she’s a little different, and then as a teenager with an attitude. She meets and falls in love with Triton, a very pretty merman who will become King of the Merpeople in the future. I really enjoyed this back story, which gives depth and humanity to the two characters, as opposed to their characters in The Little Mermaid. I love how the ‘high school’ trope is tapped into here, not too dissimilar from what we have all seen in American rom-coms.
The cast are clearly having the time of their lives while up on stage. Shawna Hamic excels as Ursula, soaking up and revelling in all of the baddie goodness. River Medway is hilarious as Ariel, who wants nothing more than to see a human male’s penis, drink a pumpkin spice latte and buy loungewear from Pretty Little Thing. Allie Dart was the stand out for me, playing Sebastian amongst other smaller roles – a comedic genius. Abby Clarke’s puppets deserve a shout out of their own. Puppets included various deep sea creatures that I didn’t even know existed until I was immersed in the missing Titan submersible story earlier this year – a story that also managed to get a mention in Unfortunate! Using puppets was genius, and at times absolute hilarious.
The music is brilliant, with a number of catchy songs (‘Where the D**ks Are’ anybody?). The dance numbers were certainly very impressive given the small stage in the theatre. The cheeky and risqué jokes absolutely hit the spot, delighting the audience.
Now for my niggle. Unfortunate didn’t imagine Ursula’s alternative future in the way I hoped it would. Instead it mainly concentrated on the past, and elements of The Little Mermaid that we are already familiar with. Personally, I thought this was a shame and a missed opportunity to think up a new ending for Ursula as opposed to almost isolating her in her own show.
Overall I really enjoyed Unfortunate, and think it is a must see for any musical lover. The cast are beyond talented and the show itself is a gem; I sincerely hope that the authors get together again for a large glass of wine on a stormy night and create another show just as brilliant.
At Southwark Playhouse Elephant until 17th February 2024
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
