The world in which writer Joel Horwood and the director Simon Godwin set their version of Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale is not a happy one. The kingdom under the sea where the Little Mermaid and her family live is in thrall to the evil Sea Witch, who makes everyone sing all day to create the storms that wreck ships.
Above the waves, it's no more cheerful. The land is cursed by terrible soil erosion, and unless the Prince marries before sunrise on his 18th birthday, the entire kingdom will crumble into the sea. They've already lost the west wing of the palace and had to move the royal taxidermy collection into the pantry.
Jon Bausor's design is cleverly conceived, encouraging us to view the action through a porthole, and those who have seen the National Theatre's The Light Princess will recognise the ingenious way this Little Mermaid is made to float. There is plenty to enjoy, including lots of panto-style wickedness from Beverly Rudd's villainous Sea Witch, a rusty armour-suited crab, and a lively musical soundtrack that ranges from beat box to mandolin. There's also a poignant examination of parental helplessness from Tristan Sturrock as the father who loves his headstrong teenage daughter, but who always manages to say the wrong thing.
The show's very good on all-consuming teenage passion, too, although it has to tie itself in narrative knots to achieve a happy ending (in the original version the story punishes female desire and determination as viciously as that other Andersen morality tale, The Red Shoes). And why is it that this year in Christmas-show land all bright, passionate, headstrong girls are doomed to marry wimpy men they'll have to mother? That's not happy ever after – it's a life sentence.
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