Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula The Sea Witch Review

Written by Hollie

Disclaimer: gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.

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Ahoy there sailors! You are not ready for this imaginative retelling of the classic Disney film ‘The Little Mermaid’ from the perspective of the often misunderstood villain from the deep dark ocean, octowoman Ursula Squirt! Some call it black magic but this production provides a hilarious and naughty escape from your everyday life. 

Leicester’s Curve Theatre was absolutely heaving and full of sparkly sequins and leather jackets, as the audience took their seats for an evening of lighthearted fun and frolics. 

The tone of the production is set from the outset with a selection of powerful feminist songs being played throughout the theatre, before the show has even begun. Once the bass drops, the show begins and we are introduced to our leading lady Shawna Hamic, who plays the formidable Ursula, a purple haired Octowoman with eight arms and legs who is far from being a shrinking violet. 

Compared to Disney’s Cruella de Vil or The Queen of Hearts, Ursula is very often underrated but this is her moment to shine. Sensational singing, sassiness and sex are provided by the extremely talented Shawna, and she had the audience laughing hysterically from the moment she spoke her first line. Her singing and sense of humour shine throughout the performance and she is the star of the show! 

Ursula’s life as a young adult is told through her own words and songs as she meets her potential love interest Triton. The plot of the show is a little crazy and sporadic at times however it does stick to the basis of The Little Mermaid tale, but from Ursula’s point of view. This isn’t your typical love story and the characters develop as twenty years pass and new characters are introduced to Ursula. 

The acting and singing talent of all of the cast can be seen throughout the production, but special mentions are deserved for Allie Dart, who plays Sebastian, and Julian Capolei who played the roles of Grimsby and Vanessa throughout the show. Both actors were hilarious and played their characters really well which provided many moments of laughter for the audience. 

The live band were incredibly talented and the story was told through imaginative song lyrics. A couple of my favourite songs include: ‘We didn’t make it to Disney’ and ‘To be King.’  

I could see what the concept of the show was and what they were trying to do but the plot did fall short in my opinion and that was unfortunate. The introduction of Eric, played by Jamie Mawson, gave the production some new energy prior to the interval. 

Will you fall hook, line and sinker for this production, or will it burst your bubble? This musical parody has finished its two night stint at Leicester’s Curve Theatre but continues to tour theatres around the United Kingdom including Peterborough, Oxford and York until July 2024. 

☆ ☆ ☆.5