Theatre Review
Eleanor Pearson 24 September 2015 Imagine an Underwater World!
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The Little Mermaid |
Enter the ocean world of Marian Street for Young People’s (M.S.T.Y.P.) latest show The Little Mermaid. As the dappled lights go up on opening day, the performers appear, gentle singing fills the air, coloured ribbons swirl, and puppet lionfish caper. This is what the young actors have worked towards for the past term.
For M.S.T.Y.P. being without their own theatre space has presented a few logistical challenges. When I last visited the cast of The Little Mermaid a few weeks prior to opening, their set had been temporarily removed, as they share usage of their current performance space at Knox Grammar School. By opening, with the appropriately sea-themed set in place, the performers were able to own the stage.
In a show set predominately on and under the ocean, movement is also an important factor. Both movement director Peter Blackburn and puppeteer Terry Ryan have coached the performers in ways to evoke the underwater world. The mermaids float and billow with soft arm movements, while Serina the dugong inhabits the stage with a slightly more robust movement of her arms. Meanwhile on the high seas, Prince Christian, Captain Jolly and crew find their sea legs on a ship during a flash storm. Amusing to watch, but also highly effective.
While many of the cast are relative newcomers to acting at M.S.T.Y.P., the lead actor, Wahroonga resident Brianna Gleeson, 15, carried the mantle of the little mermaid with ease. When playing the silenced mermaid, Brianna communicated with meaningful facial expressions, and her rapport with supporting leads Brittany Myers (Serina the dugong) and Lochlan Boyd(Prince Christian/Chris) was evident.
Special mention should also go to the trio of mermaids/sisters/princesses.
These three would-be catty girlfriends were scripted with wit, and played with style by Sonia Elliott, Abbey Rose Keevers-Wilkinson, and Emerald Slater. The sea-witch, played with verve by Jessica Luck, had a mean cackle, and her lionfish lackeys (Ellie Jones and James Raffle) had some fun one-liners.
These three would-be catty girlfriends were scripted with wit, and played with style by Sonia Elliott, Abbey Rose Keevers-Wilkinson, and Emerald Slater. The sea-witch, played with verve by Jessica Luck, had a mean cackle, and her lionfish lackeys (Ellie Jones and James Raffle) had some fun one-liners.
Perhaps not surprisingly, given it was the first performance of the season, there were a couple of technical hitches at the beginning of Act Two, and, at first the audience needed a little encouragement to get up and sing along with the actors. But the ensemble cast pulled together, and overall the crowd was warm, with plenty of applause for the young performers, both during and after the show