The Little Mermaid Jr casts a spell at The Arts Theatre

There was plenty of Disney magic on display as THE LITTLE MERMAID JR brought Ariel’s underwater world to life at The Arts Theatre, delivering a colourful, energetic and thoroughly entertaining production that had the whole family captivated.

The sets and costumes were a real highlight, creating a colourful and imaginative underwater world for Ariel and her friends. But one of the cleverest touches was something you might not immediately notice. A number of the performers wore roller shoes, allowing them to glide effortlessly across the stage and creating the illusion that they were actually moving through the ocean. It was such a simple idea, but it worked beautifully and added another layer of movement and magic to the production.

The performances were another highlight, with Ariel, Ursula and Sebastian particular standouts.

Alyssa Faranda brought plenty of charm and energy to Ariel, capturing the character’s curiosity, determination and sense of wonder. Maddison Fox was a standout as Ursula, embracing the larger-than-life villain with plenty of attitude and theatrical flair. Hunter Walsh also made a strong impression as Sebastian, bringing plenty of personality and comic timing to the role.

There were plenty of other memorable performances throughout the show too. Olivia Emmett as Chef Louis was absolutely hilarious, providing some of the biggest laughs of the night, while Emma Fisher as Flounder was simply adorable. Fisher brought such a natural charm to the role that Flounder quickly became one of those characters you couldn’t help but smile whenever they appeared on stage. There is a real natural talent there, and it was lovely to watch.

But perhaps the biggest seal of approval came from our youngest audience member.

I love those girls, the purple one is my favourite. - Mabel, 3.

Mabel was completely enchanted from beginning to end. She absolutely loved Ariel’s sisters, with the purple one quickly becoming her favourite. Throughout the performance she sat clutching her hands together, completely wide-eyed and in awe of everything happening on stage. For a little one, that pretty much says it all.

There is something particularly lovely about seeing a familiar Disney story through a child’s eyes, and this production captured that sense of wonder beautifully. The colourful costumes, imaginative sets, lively ensemble numbers and creative movement all came together to create an underwater world that felt genuinely magical from the audience.

With its final performance now complete, THE LITTLE MERMAID JR leaves behind a production full of colour, music, laughs and plenty of Disney nostalgia. It was a wonderful showcase of the talent of Pelican Productions’ young performers, with some genuinely clever theatrical touches that made this underwater adventure feel special.

Five stars from us, and a very enthusiastic thumbs up from Mabel. 🧜‍♀️💜